Run for the Roses
by scarlett2112
Summary: Horse breeder Damon Salvatore's main concern is making money and selling horses. Local Veterinarian, Elena Gilbert tends to his horses but doesn't like him very much. When his childhood best friend, his horse Duchess becomes ill, Elena sees a side of Damon that she had no idea even existed.
1. Chapter 1

"Look at that," Damon marvels, staring at one of his mares who is in the process of giving birth. Although he's witnessed this many times, this one happens to be his favorite horse. Almost as soon as she pushes the colt out, it struggles to get to its feet. Damon has never seen a horse stand up so quickly before. Once his mare finishes licking him off, he carefully steps over to have a closer look. With a steady hand, he pets his mare first and then stoops over to pet the colt. It's beautiful with its red coat and deep brown eyes. After he helps Kol clean the stall, he walks back to his house. Pouring a bourbon, he drops into his favorite chair, takes a sip and relaxes back into the cushions. Even though his primary concern with this horse farm is earning money, he will admit that he is partial to the horse that gave birth tonight. Her Royal Duchess is his prized thoroughbred and although he has many horses stabled here, none of them have the pull that Duchess seems to have.

When he thinks of seeing her tomorrow an unconscious smile forms on his face. He'll have to give _her_ a call in the morning to come out and examine his new colt. Finishing off what's left in his glass, Damon turns out the lights and locks the front door before retiring to his room for the night.

* * *

"There you are? You're up early this morning," Elena mentions to her nephew, Andrew. He's nine years old and is the son of her deceased older sister, Margaret. She died giving birth, having passed an amniotic fluid embolism. Since Andy's father was not in the picture, Elena took custody of him as soon as he was able to leave the hospital. Although she's very close to her parents, her father is a disabled military veteran and Elena quickly realized that her mom couldn't take care of her dad and a baby. Despite the hardships and the fact that she was still in Veterinary school at the time didn't matter to her. Somehow she and Andy got by with a little help from friends and family. After graduating, she made a down payment on a small horse farm in Kentucky. It's rolling green hills and streams and the solitude of the outdoors is what really appealed to her. They only have five horses but both she and Andy love them. Although they are not all thoroughbreds, they're family to her and her nephew. After fixing him breakfast, she tells Andy to grab his backpack. Once they pile into her car, she drops him off at school and then heads to her veterinary office.

As soon as she steps inside, a couple of dogs start to bark. Shaking her head, she waves to her already exasperated vet tech, Caroline. "We have a full house," Elena mentions, walking over to the dog.

"We do indeed," Caroline agrees without bothering to look up from her computer.

Smiling, Elena stoops down and starts to pet the Golden Retriever. "Homer's not feeling well?" she asks, looking into his pale eyes.

"He's been throwing up this morning. I don't know why," his owner, Martha explains.

"Did he eat something he shouldn't have?"

"I don't know, Dr. Gilbert. I think he's dehydrated don't you?"

"I do. Let's take him back and give him some fluids," Elena says. Standing up, she takes the leash from Martha and leads Homer back to one of her exam rooms. With ease, she shaves a little patch of his fur and slips and IV right in. She aspirates blood back so she can run some labs on it after which she hooks him up to some fluids. With Martha to keep him calm, she puts his blood into one of her machines to analyze. Fortunately everything is normal. She suspects that he ate something that disagreed with him.

"We'll give him another liter of fluid and then he should be good," Elena explains much to Martha's relief.

"Thank you, Dr. Gilbert."

"No worries, Martha. Just make sure you watch what he eats," Elena says, giving the woman's hand a squeeze. Glancing down at Homer, she sees his eyes are already looking more vibrant and when he barks and starts licking her hand, she knows he's feeling better. Leaving the room, Elena walks into the next exam room where Caroline is petting a cat who needs her shots.

"How is Miss Buffy?" Elena asks, looking at the vital information Caroline has written down for her such as temperature and weight. As soon as she injects the Rabies shot into the scruff of Buffy's neck, Elena lets Caroline finish up and take her back to her owner. Stepping into her office, Elena picks up the phone when it starts ringing.

"Gilbert Veterinary Clinic, how can I help you?"

"Dr. Gilbert, this is Damon Salvatore. One of my mares foaled last night. I was wondering if you could stop by and check it over?"

"Of course, Mr. Salvatore," she says, rolling her eyes. Although he's ridiculously hot, he's got an ego the size of Mt. Everest and Elena would like nothing more than to knock him down a few thousand feet.

"Thank you, Dr. Gilbert, what time should I expect you?"

"I'll give you a call before I leave the office. I'll have to run by the school to pick up Andy first. He'll have to come along with me."

"That's not a problem. I'll see you later then," he says and she can almost see him smirking into the phone.

"Goodbye, Mr. Salvatore." Hanging up the phone, she drops her face into her hands for a few seconds before sitting down at her desk to get some paperwork taken care of.

* * *

Pulling into the long driveway that leads to estate, Elena drives slowly down the gravel road, finally pulling to a stop when she reaches his huge log home. When she happens to glance to her left, she sees him standing outside of his huge horse barn talking to one of his stable hands. Getting out of her car, she reaches into the backseat to get her bag. Jumping out of the car himself, Andy busies himself playing with Damon's Siberian Husky's who are barking and nuzzling against him. Preoccupied watching Andy, she doesn't realize that Damon has stepped in beside her till she hears him whistle. Immediately the dogs run over to him. Pulling a couple of treats out of his pocket, he hands them to Andy to give to Shadow and Cinder.

"Thanks," Andy says, opening his hand for one and then the other dog.

"And how are you Andy?"

"I'm good Mr. Salvatore."

"Is it okay if I borrow your aunt to come and look at my new foal?"

"Can I see it?" he asks, his eyes wide open with excitement.

"Sure you can, come along," Damon says, gesturing with his arm for the two Gilberts to follow him. Reaching the stable, Damon leads them inside. "You remember Kol?" he asks, when he passes them, carrying a bucket of grain in each hand.

"Yes of course. How are you Kol?" Elena asks, smiling at Damon's groomer.

"I'm good, Dr. Gilbert. Duchess had a beautiful pony. Good appetite too," he remarks, setting the buckets down.

"Good."

Suddenly the sound of Damon's cellphone interrupts the conversation. Looking at the caller ID, he tells Kol to take Elena and Andy to see the new foal and then walks out of the horse barn to answer it. After demanding that his buyer try to get him a better deal on a couple of broodmares, he clicks off the phone, takes a deep breath to calm down and then goes back inside to see his colt.

"He stood up almost immediately after he was born," Damon mentions as he watches Elena looking at his mouth to check for a cleft palette and to make sure the membranes in his mouth are pink and moist. Then she moves to his eyes and runs her hands down his limbs. Looking up, she tells Andy to hand her what she needs to draw some blood, the purpose of which is to check the level of immunoglobulin in its blood. After drawing his blood, she hands it to Andy and then takes the thermometer from him to check the animal's temperature. As expected, the colt doesn't like having his temperature checked and starts rearing around a bit. Kol quickly walks over to soothe both it and Duchess who is watching Elena intently. She pauses long enough to pet the momma horse and talk to her softly. Lastly she walks over to the boy and pulls a syringe and a vial out of her bag. After drawing the medication up, she gives him the shot of Tetanus toxoid. Now that her examination is finished, she collects her things so she can take the colt's blood back to her lab to analyze it.

"Well?" Damon asks, following her outside.

"He looks very healthy."

"I have tried to sell Ruffian but no one is willing to pay my asking price and as such, Brady is urging me to enter him in some races so he and Kol are working with him. Would you like to see him?"

"Andy?"

"I'd like to see him, Aunt Elena."

"You heard him." Damon nods and leads them out of the horse barn and towards his fenced in pasture. Brady, one of the best trainers in the area, has his arms crossed and is leaning on one of fence posts engaged in a conversation with Kol who's sitting atop the horse. His back coat is stunning and glistens in the sunlight. Walking up to the horse, Elena starts petting him while Andy climbs onto the first log so he can reach and pets it too.

"He's a fine animal," Elena remarks to Brady.

"He is Elena, he really is. You mark my words, this is a champion," he affirms, his eyes drifting to Damon's.

"I hope you're right pal, I really do," Damon adds, running his hand gently down the horse's face. After they visit with Brady and Kol for a few more minutes, Elena reminds Andy that they need to get the colt's blood back to her office. As they're walking back to her car, Damon asks, "Have you thought anymore about the offer I made you for those two thoroughbreds?"

"Mr. Salvatore, I told you that I wasn't interested in selling them," she adds, starting to feel a little irate.

"Please call me Damon. I know you could use the money," he adds under his breath so Andy won't hear.

"Don't you worry, Mr. Sal..., Damon, we're doing just fine," Elena retorts, a little indignant about his conjecture.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

"I won't. I need to get his blood to the lab." He pulls open the car door for her and as soon as she's inside, he pushes it closed. Rolling down her window, she starts to say goodbye to him, her eyes drifting to what's in front of her. Hearing him drop his hand on the window, she looks at him again. "Was there something else?"

"I was hoping that you'd let me take you out?"

At a loss for words, Elena gawps, her mouth opening and closing. "Andy could join us, I was thinking maybe the zoo and then we could have a picnic?"

"I don't know what to say," she adds, still looking rather shocked.

"Say yes.. I don't bite."

"I'm not so sure about that," she adds, raising an eyebrow at him.

Turning away, a huge smile forms on his face while he shakes his head. "Come on, give me a chance?"

"I'm sorry, Damon but I'm not interested," She says firmly and succinctly. And after sharing one more look with him, she shifts the car in to gear and drives off, glad to be out of his company for now.

* * *

After analyzing the colt's blood, Elena fills out a report and sticks it in the mail for Damon but she'll call him tomorrow and let him know that everything looks good. Although Elena thinks the man could charm the scales off of a cobra, she wishes that he cared more for his thoroughbreds. Aside from Duchess, he's in this job only for the money rather than for the love of these magnificent animals. Once they get home, Elena retreats to her room to shower and change clothes while Andy does his homework.

As soon as she finished she slips into a pair of yoga pants and tee shirt then joins her nephew in the kitchen. Opening up the refrigerator, she looks with disinterest in what's inside for her to make them something to eat. She stares for she doesn't know how long, looking up when she hears her name.

"What are you staring at?"

"Oh, I don't know Andy. I'm trying to see if anything looks good for supper. What are you hungry for?"

"Pizza."

"Pizza sounds good. Should we order some or should we run to the store to get the ingredients we need to make our own?"

"Order some. It's quicker and it tastes better."

"Are you saying my cooking is bad?" she asks with a wink.

"Well.. um, no of course not, Aunt Elena, it's just that you're busy so much."

"I'm sorry, Andy. This is a busy time of year with the fillies all giving birth and racing season coming up. I'll try to do better though okay?"

"Okay," he starts to say when they're interrupted by a knock on the door. Getting up, he goes to answer it, stepping aside when he sees his aunt's friend, Brady.

"Brady, I'm surprised to see you again."

"I have some feed in the back of my pickup for you. I forgot to mention it at Damon's place."

"Why don't you take it around to the barn and then come in for a cup of coffee if you want?"

"Sure, I can take time for a cup. I'm just going to call Millie first and tell her I'll be a little late."

"Tell her hi for me. How's she doing?"

"We have two more months to go. I still can't believe we're having twins."

"You're going to have your hands full."

"I am," he laughs. "I'll go dump the hay in the barn and then I'll be back."

"Sounds good. Thanks Brady."

"No worries," he tells her and with a smile, he walks back to his truck, fires it up and disappears around the side of the house to make his way to the barn.

* * *

"Hello?" Damon asks, picking up his phone.

 _"Good morning, Damon. This is Dr. Gilbert."_

"Hello, Dr. Gilbert. What can I do for you this morning?"

" _Not a thing. I just called to tell you that the foal is healthy. Brady stopped by yesterday to drop off some hay. He told me that he believes your stallion has the makings to be a real champion."_

"That's what he tells me too. I'd rather sell him but since no one will meet my price, I've gone ahead and entered him in the Florida Derby, The Wood Memorial and at Santa Anita."

 _"I hope Brady is right about him," she says politely. After several seconds pass, she adds, "It would be nice if you showed some concern for your animals other than how much money you stand to make."_

"Do I detect a hint of annoyance, Dr. Gilbert?" he asks, feeling his feathers ruffled a bit.

 _"That would be because I am rather annoyed."_

"I respect you, Dr. Gilbert but my business is my business."

 _"Of course it is. Goodbye, Damon. You have a good day," she adds sarcastically before hanging up on him._

Starring at the phone for a few seconds, Damon hangs it up. Dropping his elbows onto his desktop and his face into his hands, he takes a few deep breaths. After several seconds, he turns his attention back to his bookkeeping. Although he'd like nothing better than to get her out of his mind, no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to accomplish it. Shaking his head, he starts punching numbers into his computer. Every time he pauses his activities, she's right there again. Determined to rid his head of her today, he pushes his work out of the way, walks outside and jumps in his Camaro and drives.

* * *

 ** _Big thanks to Eva for helping me with this story and all of my stories. I couldn't do this without you._**

 ** _Story title from the song of the same name by Dan Fogelberg._**

 ** _Chapter title: 'The Strawberry Roan' by Marty Robbins._**

 ** _I posted two one-shots in the past week, 'Someday At Christmas' and 'Christmas for Cowboys'. I updated my other Christmas story, 'Same Old Lang Syne' yesterday. My other two stories, ICEM and TTFAF are still in progress._**

 ** _Please remember to review._**

 ** _I hope you all have a wonderful day. I'm going to bed, I worked last night._**


	2. I Will Forever Hate Roses

The day goes slowly and Elena is a bit out of sorts all afternoon, still disgruntled after her conversation with that man. After picking Andy up from school, they stop at the Dairy Mart to get an ice cream cone and then she drives them home. Since he has a lot of homework today, she tells him to get busy and then she slips into her boots and goes outside to the barn to feed their horses. After putting on a pair of work gloves, she picks up the pitch fork. With strong arms, she gives hay to all of the animals. Lastly she heads over to Ruby Belle and her colt. She scoops them up some hay and then sets the fork down. After taking her gloves off, she picks up a brush and walks into the stable to brush Ruby down.

"Hey girl," Elena says, placing the brush against her coat and gently working it through. The horse is a beautiful chestnut color. Up until about two years ago, she belonged to another horse breeder, Rose Jackson. Damon was interested in purchasing the horse too because she has a champion bloodline but backed off when the injury occurred. And although she will admit that Damon treats his animals very well, what bothers her is that they're nothing more than cash to him at the end of the day. Ruby stepped in a hole and broke her leg. Damon happened to show up when Elena was examining the horse. It was his suggestion that Elena humanely euthanize her. Although she sensed that Rose was leaning in Damon's direction, Elena was able to talk her out of it, emphasizing to Rose that the horse could still lead a meaningful life. Rather than condemning the horse, Rose agreed to let Elena purchase it at a reduced cost, albeit still quite expensive, because of her injury. Although she's certain both Damon and Rose thought she was crazy, she let her take the animal. With much love and many nights spent trying to prevent her from kicking off the cast, Ruby is a healthy horse today.

 _"Look, Mrs. Jackson, I know you think that she needs to be put down but give me a chance to work on her leg. She's a young horse and she has a lot of life left in her."_

 _"She has a broken leg, Dr. Gilbert," Rose adds, shaking her head in dismay._

 _"Rose is right, Dr. Gilbert. No one in their right mind will purchase this horse now. She'll never be able to race. And besides," he continues after turning to Rose, "I'll be able to get you a new champ within a few days."_

 _"All you care about is the almighty dollar," Elena snaps before looking up at Rose. "Please, let me try to repair her leg. She's a young horse, she shouldn't be condemned to die."_

 _"I don't know what to do. I wish Trevor was here so I could discuss it with him. He's overseas looking at some animals."_

 _"It can't wait, Mrs. Jackson. You're going to have to make a decision. But if you choose euthanizing her, I will not do it. You're going to have to find another vet."_

 _"Dr. Gilbert, you'd really let this horse suffer?" Damon asks, an incredulous look on his face. "I know you don't think much of me but I am a businessman first and foremost and in order to pay my employees, I need to make a profit," he adds, remembering how his father drilled into him repeatedly that 'showing compassion equals weakness'. When he can visibly see how angry she is, he mentions in an attempt to placate her, "That said, I'm not a heartless son of a bitch either. I don't care to see her or any other animal suffer needlessly. You need to euthanize her."_

 _"I'll purchase her," Elena blurts out, her eyes trained on Damon's._

 _"You want to what?" he asks, not quite believing what he just heard._

 _"I said, I'll buy her. I'm going to try to repair that leg. If I'm unsuccessful and have to put her down anyway, you won't be out anything, Mrs. Jackson."_

 _"You're that adamant about this?" Rose asks._

 _"Yes, I am."_

 _"And how are you going to get her to your place?" Damon interrupts, looking at her like she just landed here from Mars._

 _"Leave that to me."_

 _"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you," he snaps. After staring at her for several moments, he shakes his head and walks away leaving Elena and Rose behind._

While it's certain she'll never run a race, she is Elena's favorite. She bred with Elena's other thoroughbred, Bold Pharaoh and eleven months later, Ruby was giving birth to the little colt who's now six months old. Although Andy calls him Timothy, his legal name is Calypso's Dream. Lost in thought, she nearly jumps out of her skin when Andy's golden lab starts barking, alerting her to his presence. Rolling her eyes, she finishes brushing Ruby and then walks out of the stall, closing the gate behind her. When she gets outside, she's nearly knocked over by Gus.

"What is it boy?" she asks, stooping over to pet him. Seeing that the sun is just dropping below the horizon, she and the dog walk back to the house. Seeing Andy still at the table, she asks him how his homework is coming.

"I'm done, Aunt Elena."

"Well, clean off the table so you can set it for supper, okay?"

"I will. Can I go outside with Gus for a little while?"

"Andy, it's getting dark but if you stay in the front yard where I can keep my eyes on you, fine." Although he wants to retort, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly for a second or two, he finally nods his head, acquiescing to her demands. After setting the table, he picks up the Nerf football and goes outside to play with his dog for a little while. While making supper, she looks outside of the window every now and then to make sure he's okay. Yes, she knows she's a worry wart as far as his safety is concerned but he's more her son than her nephew. The two of them have been together since he was born.

By the time they finish eating and after watching a little TV, Elena sends him upstairs to take a bath and get ready for bed. Once he finishes, he tells her goodnight and goes to his room. Hearing the dog whimpering outside of his bedroom door, Elena can't help the smile that breaks out on her face. "Alright, Gus," she chuckles, opening the door to let him inside to sleep with Andy. Afterwards she goes to her own room, crawls into a nice hot bubble bath and then goes to bed. As much as she hates it, all she can see in her dreams are _his_ beautiful blue eyes boring into hers.

* * *

Having spent a late night going over his books, Damon finally drags himself out of bed around eight in the morning. After showering and filling a travel mug of coffee, he goes outside as he's expecting Brady this morning. He and Kol are going to be racing Ruffian today to check on his times. The Florida Derby is this weekend and in all honesty, he'd like Dr. Gilbert and her nephew to come along should anything come up with the horse. Although he senses that she doesn't like him very much, he hopes he can change her mind.

Once he reaches the riding area of his horse farm, he climbs atop on of the fence rails and watches while Kol tries to push Ruffian as far as he can go. Sometimes Damon wonders if they push the animals too hard but he trusts both Brady and Kol implicitly.

"Good Morning, Damon."

"Brady, how's he doing today?" Damon asks, gesturing towards the horse with a tilt of his head.

"He's doing great Damon. He's ready for the race. Whether he'll win or not, I can't say but we'll never know unless we just let him run," Brady adds, his eyes on Kol and the horse.

"He's a beautiful animal. I thought about asking Dr. Gilbert and her nephew to come along with us. What do you think?"

"I hope we won't need her services but it wouldn't hurt to have her there just in case. Do you want to ask her or should I?"

"She likes you better than she likes me but since it's my horse, I suppose I should be the one to do the asking."

"I suppose," Brady chuckles. "Sorry, Damon. She is one headstrong but mighty fine filly," he adds, speaking of Dr. Gilbert.

"That she is, Brady. That she is," Damon muses, his mind drifting to the woman who stars in most of his dreams.

* * *

Walking back into the house, Damon goes directly into his office. Opening the drapes to let some sun in, he happens to notice a picture that's sitting on the bookshelf. Walking over, he picks it realizing that he hadn't even looked at it for quite some time. It's one of himself and his dad. Although his dad was a good man for the most part, Damon struggled to earn his approval sometimes. Maybe it's because his father started from nothing and built this horse farm with a lot of hard work, skill and tenacity. Because he worked from sun up to sun down, Damon didn't get to spend as much time with him as he would have liked but he did instill in young Damon his keen business sense. Almost as soon as Damon was old enough to walk, he was outside with his dad helping to take care of the horses.

 _"What are you doing, Damon?" his father asks as he approaches his young son who's petting the baby pony._

 _"I'm just petting Annabelle," Damon tells him without looking up._

 _"Damon, you can't get attached to these animals. You know we sell them as soon as they're old enough."_

 _"But I like this one daddy."_

 _"I know son but that's why I've told you time and time again not to form a bond with the horses."_

 _"But daddy, can't we keep this one. Please? It can be my birthday present."_

 _"No, Damon, I'm sorry. Come on, mom is waiting for you in the house."_

 _"I love her though."_

 _Although he can see how upset his son is, Joseph Salvatore shakes his head back and forth. As soon as Damon is on his feet, he urges the boy into the house. Since his wife and son are going to be visiting her mother for the next week, Joseph makes up his mind to sell the colt while Damon is gone._

He learned everything there was to know from his dad. When he died, he left all that he had to his only child. Becoming incredibly successful in his own right, Damon increased the value of his father's estate exponentially. He buys and sells horses, usually earning himself a tidy profit but until now, he's never felt the need for anything else. After seeing Brady absolutely light up when he talks about his wife and the still to be born twins, he'd find himself envying his friend. Although there's no shortage of ladies for him to go out with, he has yet to meet one that turns his heart upside down. After brushing his fingers over his father's face, he sets the photo back down and then drops into his chair. For whatever reason, he's hesitant to call her to see about going to Florida with him. Of course knowing that she doesn't like him doesn't give him any sense of self confidence either.

After staring at his books without getting anything done for the last hour, Damon finally decides he might as well get it over with. Rather than call her, he decides to drive over to her office to talk to her. By the time he reaches the place, he finds it locked up. Wondering what's up, he drives a little farther down the road to her house. Finding her car parked in the driveway, he knocks on her door and when no one answers he starts to look around. Hearing her voice, he walks into her horse barn, relieved to finally see her. Although the woman gets his dander up quicker than anyone he knows, he's not immune to her charms. The woman is absolutely beautiful with her long chestnut locks and perfect figure and her bosom just the right size to fit into his palms. Shaking off the lust, he moves further into the barn.

"Dr. Gilbert?"

"Damon, what are you doing here?"

"Ruffian is going to be racing Saturday in the Florida Derby. I thought maybe you and Andy might like to come along?" he asks, moving closer to her. It's then that he sees the colt. "Who's this?" he asks, reaching in to pet the animal.

"You might be interested to know that this is Ruby Belle's colt," she tells him, raising her chin in defiance knowing that Damon wanted Ruby euthanized all those months ago.

"Really?" he asks, his eyes meeting hers. "He's a beautiful colt. Do you think you'd be interested in selling it?"

"No, Damon, I have no interest in selling him to you or anyone else for that matter."

"You don't need to be so hostile about it. This animal is worth a lot of money given that it's Ruby's colt. Who's the sire?"

"Bold Pharaoh."

"I see. I know I asked you the other day but have you thought anymore about my offer?"

With her fuse lit, she feels her heart begin to slam against her ribcage as her temper rises enough to make her cheeks flush red. "Surely even you aren't that thick?" she snaps. After taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself down, she turns to him again, "I told you that I'm not going to sell any of my horses to you."

Just as Damon is about to retort, Andy runs into the barn. "Hi Mr. Salvatore."

"Hi Andy. How are you?" he starts to say but is interrupted when Elena asks him how he got home from school and why he's home so early.

"Jimmy's momma gave me a ride. They let school out early when a bunch of kids got sick."

"What?"

"The flu is what the principal said."

"Andy," Damon mentions breaking into the conversation. "I came over here today to see if you and your aunt would go to a race with me, Brady and Kol this weekend. Would you like that?"

"Can we Aunt Elena, please?" he asks, bobbing his head up and down.

"Andy, I need to discuss this with Damon first. You go change your clothes so you can help me out here."

"Okay. Bye, Mr. Salvatore."

"Bye Andy," Damon says, smiling when he watches the boy run off. Turning back to Elena he asks, "You were saying?"

"I would like you to leave now," she says calmly.

"Will you please come along with us to Florida? It's not like we'll be alone or anything. Kol and Brady are coming with me. After the race, we'll come back, it'll be forty eight hours at the most," Damon explains, blowing out a breath of air in frustration.

"Fine, we'll go with you but only if you promise not to irritate me."

"Now just how do you suggest I do that Dr. Gilbert? We're like the cobra and the mongoose if we're going to be honest with each other."

"You either agree or I'll stay home."

"Fine, I'll be on my best behavior. You have my word," he says sincerely. When she nods, he tells her goodbye and disappears out of her barn. Elena walks over to the entrance and watches as he leaves her property in a cloud of dust.

* * *

After making a quick trip across the state to look at some horses, Damon finally gets home Thursday morning. With the race scheduled for Saturday, Damon arrives just as Brady and Kol are getting ready to pull out of the driveway and begin the drive to Florida. He's going to fly Elena and Andy with him in his private plane. Parking the car at the side of the driveway, he jumps out to have a few words with his employees and friends too if he were honest with himself. After Damon makes sure they have enough cash for gas and motel rooms, he steps back and watches them leave.

Once he gets into his house the first thing he does is shower and crawl into bed. He'll have to call Elena when he gets up to tell her that he expects them to leave about three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Closing his eyes, hers is the last face he sees before he drifts into slumber.

* * *

"I didn't know you could fly, Mr. Salvatore," Andy exclaims, his voice giddy with excitement.

"My dad taught me how to fly a plane and then after he died, I kept at it till I earned my pilot's license. I can't fly a jumbo jet by any means but I'm adept at this," Damon explains, his eyes drifting to Elena who's not paying attention to him. Instead she's buckling her safety belt. "Why don't you go get yourself buckled in too, Andy. It's about a two hour flight."

"Where will we be staying?" Elena asks, finally making eye contact with him.

"A small hotel by the racetrack. It has an indoor water park. I thought Andy might enjoy that."

"Really?"

"Yes, Andy," he says, pausing when someone in the control tower tells him that he can begin taxiing out to the runway. Putting his earphones on, Damon flips on the switches, ignites the engine and moments later, the plane is moving along the concourse. As soon as they reach the runway, Damon stops. They need to wait for the air traffic controller to give him the go ahead to take off. Once it's received, he pulls onto the runway and starts to accelerate and momentarily they're in the air. Since Elena doesn't like to fly, her hands are fisted tightly at her sides, her nerves getting the best of her.

"What's wrong?" Andy asks.

"Flying isn't my favorite thing," she says, finally taking a breath once the plane starts to level out when Damon reaches cruising speed. Rather than visit with Damon, she closes her eyes hoping to drift off to sleep until they land. Finding her appearing to be asleep when he looks over his shoulder, Damon sighs. Seeing that Andy looks bored, Damon invites him into the cockpit. Taking the seat beside him, he buckles in and then puts on the headphones that Damon hands him. The boy is completely enthralled by the scenery below and before long, Damon starts the landing procedures and gradually begins their decent. When Elena's eyes fly open, she is almost apoplectic when she sees her nephew in the cockpit. Although every instinct wants to let him have it with both barrels, she stops herself, only now noticing the bulging muscles in Damon's forearms. From his stiff posture, she can deduce that his concentration is fully on landing the plane safely. Rather than yell at him, she makes sure that her seatbelt is secure. Looking out the window, she sees how close the ground is so she closes her eyes and holds on her arms rests so tight that her fingertips and knuckles are white. As soon as she feels the wheels hit the ground with a bounce and a thud, she begins to relax when the plane slows and finally comes to a stop.

As soon as Damon has all the instruments turned off, he urges Andy to get up and then follows him. After opening the door, he gestures for Elena and the boy to go outside while he grabs the luggage. They're immediately met by a gentleman with a car. "Hello Mark," Damon greets him, shaking his hand after he sets down the suitcases. Mark takes them and puts them in the trunk.

"Hi Mr. Salvatore. It's good to see you."

"You as well. Thanks for getting the car for me."

"No worries," he says, looking at the woman and boy that are with his friend.

"Mark, this is Dr. Elena Gilbert and her nephew, Andy. They're going to attend the race with me tomorrow."

"I hope he won't need your professional services," he says to Elena while shaking her hand. "I'm Mark Belling. I've known this guy since we were kids," he mentions, using his head to tilt it towards Damon.

"Really? Has he always been so full of himself?" Elena asks, forcing a smile onto her face when her eyes meet Damon's.

"You might say that," Mark laughs, giving Damon's arm a playful nudge.

"Alright, enough about me. Let's get to the hotel." With that, he takes the keys from Mark. As soon as Elena and Andy get in the car, he pulls onto the highway to begin the half hour drive to the motel. As soon as they arrive, they check in. Elena and Andy share a room and Damon has the room directly across the hall from them. Catching up with Kol and Brady, the five friends go out to eat. Brady and Kol bid an early goodbye so they can get to the track early in the morning for a practice run while Damon, Elena and Andy go back upstairs to their rooms. Indulging Andy, she takes him down to the waterpark area. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Damon watches from the skywalk above. He has to laugh when Andy does a cannonball, spraying water all over her. Although she's sputtering it doesn't take long for her to break out into raucous laughter. Damon is completely taken by it because he's never heard her laugh so genuinely before.

Taking a breath, he goes back to his room. Pouring a bourbon from one of the mini bottles in his room, he lays on the bed and tries to imagine a life that doesn't preclude him being alone forever. When he hears laughter again, he knows that they're back in their room, he'd recognize her sometimes husky voice anywhere. Throwing back what's left in his glass, he lays down and closes his eyes and this time it's his father who fills his mind.

 _"Daddy, can we have a Christmas tree?"_

 _"No, Damon. We don't do Christmas at our house. I want you to grow up strong and not sentimental. You are to be ruthless in your endeavors but not cruel," Joseph drills into his head._

 _"But Joe, he's never had a Christmas. Didn't you used to love it when you were a boy? You told me that your father used to give the neighborhood kids sleigh rides."_

 _"He was weak. I am strong and my son will be strong too, Bethany."_

 _"Liking Christmas doesn't make someone weak, Joe. Why are you so insistent that he not know the value of empathy and compassion?"_

 _"Weakness is a character flaw, one that I will not allow to be instilled in my son."_

 _"He's my son too, Joe. I don't want him to look back on his childhood with regret and pain."_

 _"Bethany, this discussion is over." Having heard all of that, young Damon retreats to his bedroom, buries his face in his pillow and cries himself to sleep._

* * *

The next morning, Damon raps on their door, it springs open immediately with Andy standing in front of him. "Good morning, Andy. Are you and your aunt ready to go to the race track?"

"Yeah. Aunt Elena is just finishing in the shower. Come in," he says, standing aside so Damon can step into the room. Suddenly, Elena walks out, dressed in only a towel and in less than a millisecond, Damon feels his pants tighten uncomfortably. Not wanting her to notice the effect she's having on him, he crosses his legs. When she finally sees Damon, she shrieks and runs back into the bathroom, yelling at Andy to hand her the clothes she has laid out on the bed. Damon can't help but laugh but he can almost see her giving him the evil eye through the bathroom door. When she comes out with a side braid in her hair wearing jeans and a white button down, flats and a blazer, he has to stop himself from whistling.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, we're ready," she says, giving him a look that makes his insides smolder even hotter. Thinking of his fifth grade teach Sister Constance is all it takes to slake his lust, his bulge flattens as quickly as it came. As soon as he steps out of her room, she pulls the door shut and they follow him into the elevator. Once downstairs, they stop in the little restaurant to have some breakfast and then they head to the race track. After finding their way tot he horse barn, they walk inside to have a few words with Kol and Brady before leaving to find their box seats.

As the horses trot to the starting gate, Damon leans over to whisper into her ear. "I'm still willing to buy that pony along with Bold Pharaoh and your other thoroughbred. I would pay you more than market value. I stand to earn a pretty penny on those horses."

Feeling her temper ignite faster than the eruption at Krakatoa, Elena glares and him and through gnashed teeth tells him that they're not for sale and if he so much as mentions the word around her again, he'll have to find a new veterinarian.

"Fine, I won't mention it again but when the time comes, remind me to tell you I told you so," he snaps, turning his attention to the race track as the last horse makes its way into the gate. The loud speaker announces that the race is going to begin and in the next minute the shot is fired and they're off.

There are horses of black, grey, white and chestnut coats along with of plethora of shades in between. The jockeys' silks are a multitude of colors too, magenta, green and white, blue and red, yellow and scarlet, rustle in the breeze as the horses gallop around the track at top speeds. Looking around Damon sees a sea of faces, people are not only in the stands but are also standing up next to the fence watching the horses go into the first turn.

Damon lifts his binoculars and watches Ruffian pull within three lengths of the leader. Cheering him on, he hadn't realized how much fun this is. Although he's been to races before, he's never actually had one of his horses participate. Rounding the final turn, Damon, Elena and Andy stand up and cheer Kol and Ruffian on as he tries to close the distance between himself and the horse ahead of him. Although he gives it a gallant try, Ruffian crosses the finish line second. Even though he didn't win, Damon doesn't recognize the feeling of pride that begins to well in his stomach. Exiting the stands, they go down to the winners circle to congratulate Septino's owner before working their way through the crowd to find his friends.

Rather than follow Damon, Elena and Andy browse around the race track to look at the other horses. As such she doesn't see Damon congratulating Brady and Kol for a job well done.

"He did really good, Damon. I'm excited for the Wood Memorial in three weeks. He's going to do great."

"You're sure, Brady? I mean with your wife about ready to pop, are you going to be able to stay with me?"

"Don't you worry, Damon. The only thing that could keep me away is if she does go into labor in which case, my associate Matt will be able to take my place."

"How is Matt? I haven't seen him a month of Sundays."

"He's good. His mom had surgery so he flew up to Indiana. He's due back this week."

"I trust you, Brady," Damon adds, knowing that the feeling is foreign to him as well. Walking over, he shakes Kol's hand too then picks up a brush and presses it against Ruffian's coat. When he sees Elena out of the corner of his eyes, he quickly shoves it into Kol's hand. Not wanting to let her see him in a weak moment, he steps back. When their eyes meet, she sighs and walks over to them with Andy at her side. After Elena examines the horse, they head back to the motel room. Rather than upset her with his presence even more, he stays inside, ordering room service. Sighing, he takes a long pull from his tumbler of bourbon and lays back on bed. If he were to join them at the pool, he'd want to get in the water with the boy to have a little fun. But knowing how she feels about him, why would he want to give her any more ammunition with which to hate him?

* * *

 _Big thanks to Eva. I love you._

 _Thanks so much for the response to this story. I love horses too. The real Ruffian (4/17/72-7/7/75) was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse. She won 10 consecutive races, often by wide margins. In July 1975, she entered a match race with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. Ruffian broke down, fracturing both sesamoid bones in her right front leg. Surgery was attempted but she reacted poorly and exacerbated the injuries while coming out of anesthesia. As a result, she was humanely euthanized._

 _Chapter title: "I Will Forever Hate Roses" by Dolly Parton._

 _I just posted a one shot based on jaybunzy0's prompt for the annual Delena LJ A2A exchange. It's called "Wind Beneath My Wings'. I posted one for Faith2727's prompt too. The story is called "The Gingerbread House". I posted a one shot for Morvamp for her birthday, it's called, 'El Paso'. I updated Flames earlier today._

 _Please remember to click the review button. They mean so very much to both Eva and I._

 _Have a safe and wonderful day and we'll see you when I post chapter 3._


	3. Comanche the Brave Horse

The next morning they have breakfast together before checking out of the motel. On the way to the airport, Damon stops at the racetrack to make sure Brady and Kol have Ruffian ready for the trip back home. As they walk through the stables, they run into an old acquaintance of Damon's from Kentucky. Urging Elena forward to where Ruffian is stalled, Damon visits with his friend, Will Jackson. Wanting to see Ruffian, Damon leads him to the stall where Brady and Kol are getting ready to move him into the horse trailer for the drive back to Kentucky.

"It's a fine animal," Will remarks, petting the horse's face.

"It is. We're racing him next in the Wood Memorial," Brady mentions, give the horse a lovingly gentle pat.

"So Damon, do you have any horses for me?"

"I have a couple of one year olds but Dr. Gilbert here," Damon starts to say, using his head to gesture towards Elena. "She has a fine colt that's about six months old. He's the offspring of Bold Pharaoh and Ruby Belle."

"Really?" Will asks, turning his attention to Elena. "Are you interested in selling your colt?"

Although it takes every ounce of self control she possesses to keep from yelling at Damon, she tampers it down when she addresses the other man. "No! I have absolutely no interest in selling that colt and Damon is very well aware of that fact." Glaring at him, she takes Andy's hand and walks outside with Kol and Brady who are now leading Ruffian into his trailer. Once the horse is safely inside, they close it up. Brady waves goodbye to Damon then hops behind the drivers seat, ignites the engine and pulls away out of the parking area and onto the highway.

Knowing that she's not interested in selling her colt, Will says goodbye to Damon after telling him that he'll come to his horse farm next month to look over Damon's stock. Sensing that she's angry, Damon approaches the spot where she's waiting for him. Glancing over at Andy who is talking to and petting a dog, Damon asks, "Are you two ready to head to the airport?"

"Yes, I'd like nothing more than to get back home and away from you," she spits out, walking over to retrieve Andy. "It's time to go," she tells him. Standing up, Andy keeps pace with his aunt as they walk back to Damon's rental car. As soon as they arrive at the airport, Damon returns the car and the three of them walk out on to the tarmac to Damon's plane. Once he's in the cockpit, he begins the take off procedure while Elena and Andy take their seats and buckle up. Elena jumps when she feels the engine roar to life. Swallowing thickly, she grips her armrests when he takes off. Relaxing once they're airborne, she breathes a sigh of relief.

Knowing that she's angry with him, Damon doesn't invite Andy to the cockpit this time, instead he keeps to himself while he pilots the plane back to Kentucky. As soon as he lands it safely, he takes Elena and Andy home. And although Andy thanks Damon and tells him that he had a good time, Elena doesn't say a word to him. Getting out of the car, he follows after her, stopping at the front door.

"Elena, the Wood Memorial is in three weeks. I'd like you to accompany us again. My father always said that there's no horse not for sale."

"I don't want to have anything to do with you quite frankly... I told you that I had no interest in selling Ruby's foal yet you practically offered him to your friend. How dare you?"

"Elena, I know you could use the money. You can make a pretty penny off of that colt. I know for a fact that you don't have the means to successfully breed horses."

"First of all, I don't care about the money. Second of all, my financial situation if none of your business. And third, why can't you get that through your thick head?" she snaps, unlocking her door. Pushing it open, she's about to close it on him when he asks again about the race coming up.

"I don't know, Damon. We'll see. Right now I'd like you to leave."

"Elena?"

"I'm much too angry right now to even think about accompanying you to another race." Looking over his shoulder, she yells for Andy to come into the house. Stepping around Damon the boy walks into the house. Staring at her for a long moment, Damon visibly deflates then walks back to his car to pull their suitcases out of the trunk. Walking it up the sidewalk, he sets them inside of her door and after sharing a look with her, he walks back to it, hops inside and drives away, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.

* * *

Leaning one arm against the fireplace, Damon takes a sip of his bourbon. His eyes happen to drift to the photo of himself and his parents when he was around six years old. Setting his drink down, he picks up the frame and stares at his mom. With the photo in one hand, he picks up his drink again and then plops himself down on the recliner. After taking another long pull from his tumbler, he sets it down again but keeps the picture tight against his chest. Closing his eyes, he tries to remember a time when things were good around here. Despite wracking his brain, he can't remember one.

 _"Bethany, he's going to go to military school. They'll teach him what discipline means."_

 _"Joe, he's six years old. He doesn't need to go to a military academy. You know very well the schools right here in the Versailles, Lexington area are excellent. You and I both went to school here."_

 _"There will be no further discussion. He's going to go and that's that."_

 _"No, he isn't. For once I'm putting my foot down. You are not going to ship our son off somewhere so he can only come home on holidays. I won't have it."_

 _"I don't care what you will or won't have. My mind is made up." And with that his father walked out of the room, leaving a cowering Damon hiding in the corner behind._

Damon remembers it like yesterday when the bus from the Kentucky Academy arrived to pick him up. And while he did learn discipline as his father demanded, he grew to hate the strictly regimented schedule that he had to stick to. It took him nearly dying from pneumonia when he was eight for his father to relent and let him come home. The school's Headmaster made the kids stay outside and march despite the cold weather. He doesn't remember much of what happened when he was so sick, he just remembers being as happy as he's ever been when his mom told him that he could come home. But his happiness wasn't to last because although the school was no longer his disciplinarian, his father took the job. Instead of giving young Damon the love and affection he so desperately craved, his dad kept him at arm's length. Sighing, he finally puts the frame down. After throwing back what's left in his tumbler, Damon closes his eyes, letting the crackling of the fireplace lull him to sleep.

* * *

Parking his car along the curb in front of her office, Damon gets out of the car and struts into building. Seeing that no one is in the waiting room yet, he walks up to Caroline and demands to see Elena. Looking up from what she's doing, Caroline rolls her eyes at him.

"Miss Forbes, it's very important that I see Dr. Gilbert."

"She's not here yet. Apparently she overslept. She's on her way. So why don't you do both of us a favor and go over there and sit down till she arrives," Caroline demands, pointing him towards the waiting area. Raising his hands in surrender, Damon does as he's told but not without a glare of his own. Dropping into one of the chairs, he picks up a copy of a year old ' _Horses_ ' magazines and starts to thumb through it. Quickly bored, he sets it down and pulls his cellphone out of his pocket. Clicking on the Words with Friends app, he starts to play the game. With his mind now occupied, he loses track of time until he hears someone say his name.

"Hi Andy," Damon says, genuinely happy to see the boy.

After waving at Damon, the boy follows Elena out of the waiting room and down the hall, most likely into her office. Once Elena puts her purse in her desk drawer, she tells Andy to start his homework while she goes out to see what he wants. Stepping behind Caroline, she motions for him to walk over. "Did you need something, Damon?"

"Yes, the race is coming up next weekend and I wanted to see if you and Andy would join us again? It's in New York as I'm sure you know."

"I'm aware of its location, Damon."

"Brady, Kol and my buddy, Tyler are going to drive with him. You, Andy and I will take my plane. Tyler is going along just in case Brady's wife goes into labor so he can get home. I already have arrangements made for him to fly back here should that happen."

"She's not due for a few weeks yet, right?"

"I don't know exactly. I promised Brady I would do this and despite what you think of me, Elena, I am a man of my word."

"Aunt Elena, I don't understand this," Andy states, interrupting them, his history book in his hand.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you right now," Elena explains, gesturing to the people that are now waiting to see her.

"I'll help you Andy. Go get your pencil and paper and we'll work on it together."

"You'll help me?"

"Of course," Damon says, smiling at the young boy. Curious to why, Elena crosses her arms over her chest. Not quite understanding her stance, Damon sighs in frustration. "Will you come with me or not?"

"I haven't decided yet. It depends on how busy I am."

"Fine," Damon mumbles, looking away when he sees Andy approaching. Leading the boy outside to where Elena has a picnic table, the two of them sit down. Opening the book to the chapter in question, Damon glances over it. Although he's a kid, Damon is a bit surprised that he's already learning about General George Washington's spies. The Revolutionary War and the Civil War were his favorite periods in American history when he was in school. "So what is it you don't understand?"

"I guess I don't understand what they did and I'm supposed to write an paper about it."

"Here's what I remember from when I was just a little boy. I had to go to a military academy for a couple of years and as you can imagine, military history was important for us to learn. Although that school is where I first heard of Washington's spies, I really delved into when I went to public school. To this day, I love history and historical novels."

"I like it but I like science class the best," Andy adds, playing with the pencil in his hand.

"It's okay that you like science class. Do you want to me to tell you what I know?"

When he nods excitedly, Damon can't help but be excited himself. "The British forces occupied New York in August 1776, and the city would remain a British stronghold and a major naval base for the duration of the Revolutionary War. Getting information from New York on British troop movements and other plans was of critical importance to General George Washington. There was simply no reliable intelligence network that existed on the Patriot side at that time. That all changed in 1778, when a young cavalry officer named Benjamin Tallmadge formed a small group of trustworthy men and women from his hometown of Setauket, Long Island. Known as the Culper Spy Ring, Tallmadge's homegrown network would become the most effective of any intelligence-gathering operation on either side during the Revolutionary War."

Intrigued and on the edge of his seat, Andy blurts out, "Tell me more."

"Okay I will. Tallmadge recruited only those whom he could absolutely trust, beginning with his childhood friend, the farmer Abraham Woodhull, and Caleb Brewster, whose main task during the Revolution was commanding a fleet of whaleboats against British and Tory shipping on Long Island Sound. Brewster was one of the most daring of the group, was also the only member whom the British had definitely identified as a spy. Tallmadge went by the code name John Bolton, while Woodhull went by the name of Samuel Culper."

"How do you remember all this?"

"I like American history, Andy. Do you want to know more?"

Damon smiles when the boy bobs his head up and down. "Woodhull, who began running the group's day-to-day operations on Long Island. He personally traveled back and forth to New York collecting information and observing naval maneuvers. Then he would evaluate reports and determine what information was important enough to be take to General Washington. Dispatches or information would then be given to Brewster, who would carry them across the Sound to Fairfield, Connecticut, and Tallmadge would then pass them on to Washington. Woodhull lived in constant anxiety of being discovered, and by the summer of 1779 he had recruited another man, the well-connected New York merchant Robert Townsend, to serve as the ring's primary source in the city. Townsend wrote his reports as Samuel Culper, Jr. and Woodhull went by Samuel Culper, Sr. And that is why to this day it's known as the Culper Spy Ring.

"Wow."

Smiling, Damon ruffles his hair a little bit and then continues. "There was also a man named Austin Roe. He was a tavern keeper in Setauket. He acted as a courier for the Culper ring. He would travel to Manhattan with the excuse of buying supplies for his business. A local Setauket woman and Woodhull's neighbor, Anna Smith Strong, was also said to have aided in the spy ring's activities. And although they do know there was a woman was among the spies, her identity has never been positively confirmed. Supposedly she used the laundry on her clothesline to leave signals regarding Brewster's location for meetings with Woodhull."

"So they don't know for sure that the lady was spy?"

"That's right, Andy. It's a mystery to this day whether she was in fact one of Washington's spies."

"I like this story."

With a nod to Andy, Damon continues, "Despite some strained relations within the group and constant pressure from Washington to send more information, the Culper Spy Ring achieved more than any other American or British intelligence network during the war. The information they collected and passed on by the ring from 1778 to war's end in 1783 concerned key British troop movements, fortifications and plans in New York and the surrounding regions. The group's greatest achievement came in 1780, when it uncovered British plans to ambush the newly arrived French army in Rhode Island. Without the spy ring's warnings to Washington, the French and American alliance may well have been damaged or destroyed by this surprise attack. The Culper Spy Ring has also been credited with uncovering information involving the treasonous correspondence between Benedict Arnold and John Andre, chief intelligence officer under General Henry Clinton, commander of the British forces in New York, who were conspiring to give the British control over the army fort at West Point. Major Andre was captured and hung as a spy in October 1780, on Washington's orders."

"You sure know a lot," Andy exclaims, completely enthralled with what Damon has told him.

"My father was a pretty strict guy, Andy. If I didn't get good grades, he would take the belt to me."

"You got spanked?"

"I did," Damon admits. Unbeknownst to him or Andy, Elena is standing at her window, listening to a little bit of what Damon was telling her nephew. Since Andy likes Damon, Elena decides that she'll ask him about going to the race with Damon again. Hearing her name, she takes the chart from Caroline and follows her into another exam room to take care of a sick ferret.

* * *

After a few more tense days, Elena finally agreed to go along with Damon to New York. Because the race is the next afternoon and they didn't get to leave till after Elena finished up her day at the clinic, it's already dark by the time Damon lands his plane. Fortunately Damon is just as skilled flying with instrumentation as he is flying by seeing landmarks. Spatial disorientation can be a real problem for pilots flying at night if they're not adept at flying using their instruments too. It's said to be the cause of John F. Kennedy Jr's plane crash in 1999. Since they're all tired, Damon hails a cab to take them directly to their motel. Too tired to even stop for something to eat, Damon tells Elena and Andy that he'll stop at their room in the morning to go to the race track. After saying goodnight, he leaves them to take a nice hot shower and go to bed. As soon as he gets to his room, he plops down face first on the bed. And although he wanted to shower, his level of fatigue is just too much, his eyes dropping closed almost immediately.

Finding himself still fully clothed when he wakes up the next morning, Damon strips out of his clothes and hops into the shower. Once he finishes, he quickly gets dressed and goes across the hall. Knocking on her door, he waits patiently till she opens it. His eyes widen when he sees how gorgeous she always looks wearing something as simple as jeans and a tee shirt. Stepping aside, she gestures for him to come in.

"Are you ready for some breakfast?"

"Where were you last night? I half way expected you to be knocking on our door."

"I told you that I was exhausted," he explains, wondering if perhaps she was disappointed. Knowing it's a crazy thought and not wanting to dwell on it, he adds, "I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I didn't move a muscle until my alarm went off this morning."

"You do look more refreshed," she says before turning to Andy. "Are you hungry?"

"Can we have pancakes?"

"You can indeed, Andy. Let's go. We should probably decide now whether we're going to fly back after the race or wait until tomorrow. I need to rent the rooms for a second night if you two want to stay. We could mosey around New York a little bit?"

"Andy?"

"I don't know?"

"Brooklyn has a fabulous zoo. We could do that after the race. What do you say Aunt Elena?" Damon asks, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I suppose but I want to be able to leave early Sunday then. Andy still has some math homework that he needs to get done before school on Monday."

"Deal," Damon says, extending his arm. He follows Andy out while Elena pulls the door closed, making sure it's locked. After breakfast, they take a cab to the racetrack. Once they find Kol, Brady and Tyler, Elena examines Ruffian, giving him a clean bill of health to run the race. Even though there's an on sight vet, he trusts Elena. Afterwards, they take their seats and wait for the race to begin. When the starter gun goes off, they get to their feet watching as the horses race down the track. The bright colors of the jerseys are flapping in the wind as the horses kick up the dust as their hooves pound the track. With his mouth parted, Damon watches, holding his breath when Ruffian pulls into the lead. And although the next few minutes seem to pass like hours, Damon is as giddy as a school boy when Ruffians crosses the finish line first. Squealing with excitement, he gives Elena and Andy a hug. When he realizes what he's doing, he quickly lets go.

"I'm sorry, I just got caught up in the excitement of it all."

"It's okay, Damon," she says, smiling despite herself. When the crowd starts to filter out, Damon, Elena and Andy work their way down to the winners circle. Accepting the trophy, Damon thanks Kol, Brady, Tyler, Dr. Gilbert and Andy. Once the festivities are over, Damon congratulates his friends profusely, promising them each a big bonus when they get their next paychecks. After dropping the trophy off at the hotel, Damon takes the two Gilberts down to the Prospect Park Zoo where they spend the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening. As expected, they're all very tired by the time they get back to the motel. Andy is now wearing his zoo tee shirt and yawning deeply. Since they had something to eat there, Damon walks them to their room and says goodnight. Pausing at his door, he looks over his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers. For a brief moment, he's mesmerized and unable to look away. The sound of laughter from a young couple stepping out of the elevator breaks the spell. Nodding, Damon says goodnight then steps inside of his room, closing the door to both her and the outside world.

* * *

Although she hates to fly, Elena tries her best to relax. She still doesn't appreciate Damon's motivations, money and all that but she will admit that she's impressed the way he is around Andy. Her nephew got an A on the history paper Damon helped him with. While Andy was busy looking at the zoo animals, Damon brought up Duchess and her colt and how fond he is of that horse. She's getting up there in age, he's had the mare since he was a teenager. But it's not unusual for healthy mares to have babies into their teens and even twenties.

Turning to look out of the window, Elena is so completely entranced by the cloud formations, she doesn't even realize that the plane is descending till Damon tells her and Andy to buckle up and prepare for landing. Once on the ground, he taxis the plane to its hangar. Afterwards they walk to the long term parking and begin the twenty six mile drive home. Pulling into Elena's driveway, Damon stops the car and walks the two of them to the front door. Once he says goodnight, he walks back to his car. As at the hotel last night, he turns around when he reaches the drivers side, their eyes meeting for a long moment and this time it's the sound of a car backfiring that breaks the spell between them. Raising his hand, he waves then crawls into his car and disappears down the block.

* * *

After winning at the Derby, Ruffian came in second both at The Preakness and at Belmont stakes. Even though Damon could have made a good profit by selling the horse, he just couldn't find it in himself to do so. Somehow he wormed his way into his heart. Once the season starts, Damon will receive offers for him to breed with the finest mares. Having spent the afternoon riding him, Damon brushes him down, gives him food and water and then retreats to his house. Glancing at the clock, he walks over to his bar to pour himself a tumbler of bourbon. Taking a long pull, he closes his eyes and savors the warm, oaky taste. Walking over to his favorite recliner, he plops down, setting his drink on the magazine rack. Laying his head back, he closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep, Elena never far from his mind.

* * *

Several months later:

Awakened by the sound of frantic pounding on her front door, Elena lurches upright in bed. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she throws her legs over the side of the bed, throws on her bathrobe and slippers and then hurries to the door. Pausing to look through the peep hole to see who it is, Elena is stunned to see a frenzied looking Damon Salvatore. Covering her mouth to stifle a yawn, she pulls the door open. "Oh thank God," Damon says, his voice thick.

"What's going on?" she asks, noticing how his eyes are wild and full of fear.

"It's Duchess, she's sick. Please, Elena, you have to come quickly."

"What's the matter with her."

"She's weak and lethargic. She isn't eating and seems to be having some trouble breathing. Kol told me that she's had some diarrhea and a cough too."

"Any discharge or fever?"

"I haven't checked her temperature but she's sick, Elena. Please, we don't have time for this."

"Alright, try to calm down okay?" Feeling genuinely worried for the man, she adds, "I need to get dressed and get Andy out of bed."

"I'll carry him to the car. He can sleep in one of the beds at my house. Please, Elena, we must hurry?"

"His room is the second one on the right down that hall. I'll get dressed while you get him."

Nodding, Damon rushes to the boy's room. As carefully as he can he lifts Andy into his arms, covers and all, and takes him out to his car. Just as he's closing the back seat, Elena steps outside. He watches as she makes sure her home is locked before she hurries down the sidewalk and jumps into the passenger seat. Swallowing thickly, Damon starts the engine, presses on the gas pedal and speeds down the street towards his horse farm.

As soon as they reach his place, he parks the car and takes Andy in the house while Elena makes her way to the barn. Ever the conscientious friend, Kol is here, having promised Damon that he'd watch over her while Damon went to fetch Dr. Gilbert.

"How long has she been ill?" Elena asks, examining her gums, noting that they are pale. With Kol's help, she checks Duchess temperature, not surprised to find that she does have a fever. Suspecting pneumonia, she pulls out her stethoscope to listen to the horse's lungs. When she hears moist crackling sounds throughout her lung fields, Elena is certain that she's correct. She's finishing up her exam by the time Damon arrives, having run out here from the house.

"She has pneumonia. We need to move her to a warm, dry area. She needs to drink plenty of fresh water. Do you have a humidifier?" Although Damon is now on his knees lovingly petting his horse, he nods.

"I'll have to run to my office to get her some antibiotics. I can give her an injection plus I'll have you give some using a nebulizer along with some bronchodilators. She'll need to take them for a couple of months, Damon. We'll start with the antibiotics. If it becomes necessary, I'll order some immune stimulants in a couple of days depending on how she responds to the antibiotics."

"Kol, would you please take Dr. Gilbert to her office? I'm going to stay out here with Duchess," Damon says softly without looking at either of them.

"Sure, Damon," Kol agrees. And after sharing a look with Elena, he goes outside to pull his truck around.

"Andy?"

"He's sound asleep in one of the bedrooms."

"I'll just go in and check on him before I go. I won't be long. She's very sick, Damon. You should prepare yourself."

"No, don't you say it, don't you dare say it," he says forcefully, his eyes meeting hers when he looks over his shoulder. Elena is stunned to see that they're moist and glassy looking.

"Damon?"

"Please don't," he whispers, his heart slamming so hard against his chest that it nearly takes his breath away.

"I'm just going to go to check on Andy. I'll be back as soon as I can," she assures him. Hoping to ease his burden a little bit, she gives his shoulder a pat and then starts to back out of the barn.

With an almost imperceptible nod, Damon turns away from her. Sitting down beside his equine friend's head, he gently begin to stroke his hand down her face. The sight is something she thought that she would never see, the hard hearted Damon Salvatore completely heartbroken by the possibility of losing his beloved horse.

* * *

 _ **Now there is only one Skywalker. The Force will be with you always, RIP Carrie Fisher.**_

 _Thanks and much love to Eva. Without you there would be no scarlett2112._

 _Thank you all so much too. I appreciate each and everyone of you so very much._

 _chapter title: 'Comanche (the Brave Horse) by Johnny Horton._

 _The real Comanche was the only survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn aka Custer's Last Stand. He belonged to Myles Keogh. In June 1879, Comanche was brought to Fort Meade by the Seventh Regiment, where he was kept like a prince until 1887. He died of colic November 7, 1891, believed to be 29 at the time of his death. He's one of only two horses in US history to be given a military funeral with full military honors. I mention Fort Meade because it's in Western South Dakota and I am a proud South Dakota native._

 _You can check my profile for recent updates and other one-shots that I've posted recently. I posted 'Burnt Ice' on Monday, starring DE as pairs figure skaters. Now Eva and I have our attention on "Over the Rainbow" and then it's back to 'The Truth Beneath the Rose'..._

 _I hope you all had a fabulous holiday. Be safe and have a wonderful day. Thank you all again._


	4. Behind The Curtain

After going into Damon's house to check on Andy, Elena hurries outside. Kol already has his pickup pulled up in front of the house. As soon as she has her seatbelt buckled, he presses on the gas pedal and drives towards her office. Still stunned by what she saw in the barn, she says, "I didn't think that man had a heart." Quickly she slaps her palm over her mouth not realizing that she had said what she was thinking out loud.

"Dr. Gilbert, Damon isn't the man he pretends to be. He is a product of his upbringing. I've known Damon all of my life. His father was a strict disciplinarian who ran his home like a military boot camp. He is the way he is because that's what he was taught and it's what he knows. But don't doubt that he loves Duchess. That horse means the world to him. His father actually sold Duchess once. It nearly destroyed him," Kol adds, pausing for impact. "As soon as Damon was able to raise the money he bought her back because the guy that purchased her knew that she was Damon's pet. And because of his ordeal with her, Damon never allowed himself to get emotionally attached to any other animal."

"What about his mother?"

"Bethany didn't approve of the way Joseph ran the house and tried to give Damon the affection that his dad denied him. Don't get me wrong, I know Joe loved Damon but he didn't know how to be a dad. I sometimes wonder if Damon's grandparents raised him the way he raised Damon. I know you think the only thing Damon cares about is money but that's just not true. I broke my leg a few years ago and didn't have any insurance. That was before I went to work for him. He paid for everything including offering me a job and paying me a salary even though I did nothing to earn it. It's the only reason that Eva and I still have a roof over our heads. We would have lost our house if not for his generosity. So although he keeps his emotions tight to the vest, he's not without feelings. He's a good man, he truly is."

"I didn't know. All I've ever seen is the money hungry powerbroker. I had no idea that his childhood was like that," Elena admits. For the first time she finds herself thinking that maybe she had misjudged the bane of her existence.

"Again because of what he was taught, he doesn't show emotions nor does he like to talk about himself. Brady can tell you the same. The three of us became friends in high school. Damon kept to himself back then too. He didn't date a lot, he rather kept to himself. And I know that he parades this cocky, devil may care attitude around now but it's to hide his insecurities. He grew up all alone, Dr. Gilbert. So please try to look behind the curtain sometime. Maybe then you'll see the Damon that I know and love like a brother."

"I'm flabbergasted. The Damon you know is the polar opposite of the one I know."

"That's not your fault though. That's how he presented himself to you," Kol adds as he pulls up and stops the truck in front of her veterinary office. Elena immediately jumps out and runs inside where she grabs the vial of antibiotics for injection and for use with a the nebulizer machine. Pulling one of those off of her shelf, she hands it to Kol who followed her into the building. Pointing to the tubing that she needs for the neb machine, Kol reaches it for her. Once they have everything, they rush back out to the pickup and hurry back to Damon's farm.

* * *

Because Dr. Gilbert told him that Dutchess needs to be in a warm, dry place, Damon calls Brady to help him move her to another stall, one that he can put an electric heater in. Although the weather looks a little threatening, his wife readily agrees because Damon has been very good to them too. Brady doesn't work exclusively for Damon as Kol does but he's still his best friend, having met him in the eighth grade. He, Damon and Kol were nigh inseparable in those days. Jumping in his truck, Brady hightails it over to Damon's farm. When he finds his friend so distraught that he can barely function, he takes charge and between the two them, they get her into the warmer stall and then they move the colt into one with a heater too. Damon thanks his friend profusely and although he doesn't want to leave, Damon insists that he go home to his wife and babies before the snow comes. The babies, twin boys. were born in September. Their names are William Damon and Wesley Robert. Damon was rendered speechless when he found out that one of the middle names was chosen for him. Immediately Damon started savings accounts in the local bank for the boys. Whenever he stops in, he puts twenty dollars in each of the boy's accounts. Hopefully by the time they reach adulthood, they'll have a nice college fund.

Not wanting to leave his horse, he says goodbye to Brady in the barn and watches his retreating backside till he disappears out of the door. Hearing the roar of his pickup come to life followed by the retreating beam of his headlights, Damon turns the heater on and then drops to his knees again. Although the thought of her dying nearly breaks him, he vows to stay with her because he won't let her die alone. A part of him is angry at himself for getting so attached to a horse of all things. His father always told him not to let feelings get in the way.

 _"Can I have a puppy?"_

 _"No, Damon, you can't."_

 _"But why, daddy? We live in the country. I promise I will take care of it."_

 _"Damon, that's enough. You'll get attached to it and then when it dies, you'll be a wreck. I don't want to see that."_

 _"But..."_

 _"No buts, Damon. I had a dog when I was a young like you. My father warned me not to get attached but I didn't listen. My dog was hit by a car, Damon. I've never felt that kind of hurt before or since because I wouldn't allow myself to get that attached again. So no, you cannot have a pet." Damon stares at his dad for a few moments. When the tears come, he turns around and runs away from his father, not looking back till he's far away._

"Please Duchess, don't give up. I need you," Damon pleads through his tear thickened voice. Running his hand down her coat, he tries to comfort her the only way he knows how. He even goes so far as to run into the house to grab a pillow for her to lay her head on. "You've always been here for me Duchess and if you need to go, I promise I'll take care of your colt. I won't sell him. He's part of you and for a long time you were my only friend. I won't leave you, girl. I love you so much," he whispers. Feeling tears begin to trail down his cheeks, he reaches up to wipe them away when he hears the barn door slide open.

Kol doesn't stop the pickup till he's right in front of the horse barn. Jumping out of the vehicle, Elena takes the things she needs and rushes inside, followed by Kol with the breathing machine. When she reaches the stall, she finds Damon and Duchess gone. Confused, she looks from right to left. It's then that she hears his voice over the now roaring wind. With Christmas just around the corner, the weather is unpredictable.

"Damon?" she asks, wondering where he went.

"I'm here, Elena," he says, waving to her from the stall he's in now. Nodding, Elena runs over to him. Once she drops to her knees, she pulls the vial out of her bag and a syringe. As soon as she pulls enough of the drug into the syringe, she plunges the needle into the horse's muscle. With Kol's help, she places the mask over her face and turns on the neb machine. She sits down next to Damon and gives his leg a pat despite herself.

"I won't lie to you, Damon. She is very sick but I'm going to do everything in my power to save her for you. Please don't doubt that."

Staring at her hand on his leg, he takes a deep breath. "Thank you for helping her. I can't lose her, I just can't," he adds, turning away when he feels his eyes beginning to well up again.

"Damon, you don't have to turn away. I understand that you love this horse. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I've had her since I was a teenager. My father sold her when he thought I was getting too attached. I worked two and sometimes three jobs at a time so I could earn the money to buy her back. She can't die, she just can't."

"I'll be right here with you, Damon. Right now, I'm going to run into the house to check on Andy. I'll be back."

"It's late. You can take the bedroom beside his if you want. Unless you want Kol to take you both home?" he utters, his eyes dropping to his prone horse.

"I'm going to stay but if you want to go home, I'll take you," Kol confirms, his eyes darting from Damon to Elena.

"No, I'm staying too," she adds, her eyes meeting Damon's. Elena feels her heart jump when she sees the gratitude reflected in them. After giving his forearm a squeeze, she gets up. After sharing a quick look with Kol, she leaves the barn and walks towards the house. Pulling her coat tight, she hurries inside, heading directly for the fireplace to warm up for a few minutes. Once she checks on her nephew, she pulls the afghan off the foot of the bed then she curls up on the loveseat that's in the room and closes her eyes.

* * *

 _Turning away from his father, Damon buries his face in the pillow cause he doesn't want to have to talk to him. Despite what he told him about getting a dog, he's still mad at his father. Believing him to be unfair, Damon hasn't talked to his dad for two days._

 _"Damon, I know you think that I don't care about you but nothing could be further from the truth," Joseph says, sitting on the edge of his son's bed._

 _Refusing to say anything, Damon doesn't even look at his dad. Feeling a hand giving his shoulder a squeeze, he shifts to the edge of the bed and out of his dad's reach._

 _"Damon, I understand that you're mad at me. Truly I do but I'm trying to teach you how to survive in this world. You need to be strong to do that. I know you want a pet, I wanted my dog too but son, it hurts too much to let them go. That kind of emotion makes a man weak. It's an Achilles Heel and we Salvatore men have to project an air of strength. I'm doing this for your own good and someday you'll realize that I was right." He stares at his son's prone figure for a few moments and then he gets up, pausing at his bedroom door. "I do love you, Damon." Surprisingly Damon looks up. He meets his dad's eyes for a just a moment before the man steps through the door and pushes it closed behind him._

Unable to sleep without dreaming, Damon slides over to the edge of the stall. Using it for support, he leans back, crosses his arms over his chest and closes his eyes hoping for once that his mind will be free of the memories that continue to haunt him.

* * *

Waking up in the next morning, Elena groans as she sits up. Sleeping on the love seat is not something she wishes to repeat anytime soon. Creeping over to the window, she sees that the sun is just starting to break over the horizon. After pulling the covers back up over her nephew, she grabs her coat and goes outside to check on Duchess. Not hearing any noise, she walks quietly but the hay beneath her feet crackles as she makes her way to the stall. Pausing in her tracks when she finds Damon still awake but Kol sound asleep, she's still stunned by Damon's devotion to the animal. Ever so softly she tiptoes to the Duchess. Her eyes are open and less glazed. Damon raises his eyes to hers and she can see how the worry is still prevalent. Taking her stethoscope, she listens to the horse's lungs. Although she can still hear crackles there's definitely an improvement from last night. Opening up her bag, she draws up another dose of antibiotic and gives her another shot. The next thing she does is get a nebulizer ready and slips the mask over the horse's mouth.

"Elena?" he asks, quickly scurrying closer to his horse.

"Relax, Damon. She isn't out of the woods yet but she's holding her own. Why don't you go inside and take a nap. I'll stay with Duchess."

"But don't you have to go to work?"

"It's Sunday, Damon."

His eyes widen for a moment cause he wasn't even aware of what day it is. "I don't want to leave her. I promised her that I wouldn't let her die alone."

"Damon, you need to get some rest. I promise you that if anything happens, I'll come after you."

"Elena, I... I .. I don't want to leave her."

"But you're exhausted. Please trust me," she adds, cupping one of his hands between her own. "Kol will help me get her on her feet for a little while. You need some rest." After staring at their hands for a long moment, he turns to look at his horse and then to Elena. Finally he nods and after whispering something in Duchess ear, he stands up and walks out other barn, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

* * *

By the time it gets to be the afternoon, Elena is certain that Duchess is going to survive. She's now drinking and sniffing at her food. Still Elena is going to have to make sure she receives antibiotics for several weeks so she'll have to teach Damon or Kol to give her the shots. Tired herself, she rakes her hand through her hair, looking up when she hears Kol's feet crackling on the hay covered floor, followed by those of her nephew.

"How's the patient?" Kol asks, pouring some fresh water in the trough for Duchess to drink.

"It was touch and go for a little while there but I think we got to her early enough."

"Is Damon still sleeping?" Andy asks, stepping beside his aunt.

"He is. I went inside to use the bathroom. Damon was sound asleep in his recliner in front of the fireplace. I put a couple of logs on it and made some eggs for the two of us," she says, smiling down at the boy. "I hope Damon won't mind."

"No, of course he won't. Like I told you, Elena, he's a good guy beneath the bluster."

"I understand that now, Kol. It was quite an awakening to see this side of him and perhaps I judged him prematurely?"

"He'll be so grateful to see the light in Duchess's eyes again that nothing else will matter," Kol adds, his eyes meeting hers.

"Speaking of the devil," Elena adds, smiling when she sees Damon's whole face light up when he looks at his horse. He's in front of the horse in two steps. His heart is beating wildly as he looks into her eyes. Without letting another moment pass, he wraps his arms around her face and hugs her, turning away from the others to hide his tears.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I can't promise you that she won't have a set back, Damon. She is fifteen years old but as things stand right now, I would say that she's going to be fine."

"Thank you so much," he adds, brushing his forearms across his eyes.

Smiling widely, she tells him, "You're welcome." Turning to Kol, she asks him to take her and Andy home. They're still wearing the same clothes they had on when Damon brought them over here. "Tomorrow is the last day of school before the Christmas break. I'll stop over to give her another shot after I drop him off."

"That reminds me Damon. I kind of promised Mrs. Lockwood that I would give the kids sleigh rides. I was hoping I could use a couple of the plow horses to pull the sled?"

"Yeah, of course, Kol. Whatever you need?" he adds, his eyes not leaving his horse. "Would you mind taking Elena and Andy home? I don't want to leave." Even though he hates for them to leave, he knows that they have a life of their own, one that he's not a part of. Looking up at Kol, he breathes a sigh of relief when his friend nods. After giving Damon's shoulder a squeeze, he urges Andy to follow him. Elena picks up her bag and starts to walk away but pauses and turns around, her eyes meeting his.

"Damon, I know this is kind of out of the blue but would you like to join Andy and me for Christmas?"

"I really don't do Christmas, Elena," he says defeatedly.

"I won't take no for an answer," she retorts and with that, she walks out of the building. Following behind, he stops at the barn door and watches as she and Andy crawl into Kol's pickup. When Andy turns around and waves at him, Damon forces a smile and waves back. He doesn't look away till they're no longer visible. Sighing with relief, he goes back inside to spend some time reuniting Duchess with her colt.

* * *

Pulling her coat snuggly against her neck, Elena walks side by side with Andy down the sidewalk. Although the air is brisk, it's a nice day for the festival. It will conclude with the lighting of the star on top of the town's Christmas tree. The high school band will be playing Christmas carols during the festivities. The city council will be selling hot chocolate and coffee to earn some money for the coffers.

"Can I have a funnel cake?" Andy asks, licking his lips when he sees them advertised on the window of one of their local cafes.

"That sounds good. Let each have one and then we'll go over and get ourselves a sleigh ride. What do you say to that?"

"I like it." Taking his hand, they walk into the small restaurant and place their order. As soon as the cook calls their number, Andy walks up to the counter to pick them up. Elena's eyes widen at the deep fried confection covered with confectioner's sugar, cherry pie filling and topped with a huge dollop of whipped cream.

"Mmm," she mumbles almost making an o face as the flavors explode on her tongue.

"I love these but how come they only have them at Christmas and during the summer for the fourth of July parade?"

"I guess they want to keep them as a special treat. If we could buy one every day, we'd probably get sick of them."

"I guess," he agrees, stuffing big bite into his mouth. As soon as they each use the bathroom, they zip up their coats and head out and walk down the block towards the vacant lot where Kol is giving sleigh rides with Damon's horses. Once they get close, she waves when Damon happens to glance in their direction. He's chatting with Kol who's in his Santa Claus garb. Elena suspects he probably has layers of clothing underneath to make him look bulky and to keep him warm.

"Hello Damon, Santa," Elena says, looking down at Andy who's eyes are fixated on the huge sled. It's big enough to seat about twelve people the way it looks.

"Hi Elena, Andy," Damon says, a genuine smile forming on his face.

"I didn't expect to see you here but it's a nice surprise."

"I am a citizen of the town. I feel that it's my duty to at least show my face," Damon explains, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"And are you keeping warm Santa?"

"I am, thank you for asking, Miss." Looking down at the boy, he adds, "Why don't you take a seat young man? I'm going to take it for another spin in a few minutes."

With a nod from his aunt, Andy wastes no time in jumping onto the sleigh, taking a seat in the front row. Seconds later they hear laughter and running as a bunch of kids hurry to get on the sled too. With it full, Kol tells Damon and Elena goodbye then hops on, grabs the reins and tugs. Looking at his aunt and Damon, Andy waves goodbye.

"Would you like some coffee? I think the sleigh rides take about 20 minutes. We can go across the street into the diner, that way we can see when they return."

"That sounds nice," she agrees and walks alongside him as they cross the street. Pulling the door open, he gestures for her to go in and then he follows her, taking a seat opposite her in the booth she chose.

"How's Duchess?" she asks. "I thought I'd run by tomorrow to check on her."

"I'll never be able to thank you for saving her for me. She's not quite herself yet but she's so much better. Her eyes are alight and she's starting to look healthy again."

"I'm glad. I mentioned Christmas a few days ago. Why don't you come over around six on Christmas Eve? I always make a big pot of homemade beef stew and homemade bread."

"Elena, I don't know. My father didn't believe in Christmas celebrations. I wouldn't know what to do.. and the last thing I want to do is put a damper on things for you and Andy."

"Well, this year you are going to celebrate with us. I insist and besides Andy is very fond of you since you have been helping him with his homework and things. You've really taken him under your wing, Damon. It'll mean a lot to him and to me if you would join us."

"I guess I have no other choice then," Damon chuckles, thanking the waitress for bringing them each a cup of coffee. Encircling the cup with his hands, he takes a long pull to warm himself up.

"Where is his mother?"

"My sister died unexpectedly when he was born. He's been with me since he left the hospital. It's always been the two of us."

"I'm sorry. I was an only child and so were both my parents. I don't have any aunts and uncles or cousins. Other than Kol and then Brady, I was by myself."

"Damon," she says softly, reaching across the table to place her hand atop his. "From now on, you have me and Andy too. You don't have to be alone anymore, Damon."

Stunned and speechless at her declaration, Damon drops his eyes to his hands that are still embracing his cup of coffee. After several seconds pass, he looks at her again and as he stares into those deep brown pools, disbelief begins to morph into something that he doesn't recognize. Struggling with how very nice it feels, Damon swallows past the lump in his throat and adds, "Thank you, Elena. You don't know what this means to me. I don't know what else to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Damon." After expelling a subtle puff of air, Damon nods and takes another swallow of his coffee. At the same time the waitress refills their cups, they hear the sleigh bells and look out of the window to see that Kol has Andy back with the sled.

"Finish your coffee. I'll go get Andy and bring him over here. He could probably use a hot cup of cocoa or something."

"Thank you," Elena mentions, taking a another swallow from her mug. Standing up, Damon walks away, pausing at the entrance to look back at her. When she gives him a genuine smile, his heart feels like it grows three sizes as it pounds against his chest. Feeling a shiver, he hurries outside and runs across the street just as Kol is pulling the sleigh to a stop. As soon as Andy jumps out of the sled, Damon gestures for him to come. With Andy by his side, they walk back into the café. After ordering a cup of cocoa for the boy, Elena and Damon listen attentively while he tells them all about his sleigh ride. By the time they finish, it's time for the Christmas program at the Legion Hall. Damon pays the bill then goes outside to join the two of them. Elena surprises him mightily when she links her arm with his and tells him in no uncertain terms that he needs to find the Christmas spirit. Too stunned to speak, he just nods and lets her lead the way. A maelstrom of unfamiliar feelings begins the build and grow inside of his heart and his head. He's always been pretty much of a loner like his dad was. Other than Kol and Brady, he didn't have any friends. For so long he's relied on his bluster and brashness to put distance between himself and anyone who tried to break through his tough veneer. Yet without any effort on her part, she's not only put a crack in it, she's smashed it to smithereens.

When they arrive at the hall, Elena leads them to a seat near the front while Andy disappears to join the other kids for the program. Just as nerves in Damon's belly begin to calm, they roil all over again when she links her hand with his and tells him softly that the program is starting. In shock, Damon can only nod, his mouth slightly parted as he has no idea what to say to her.

Knowing that he's completely out of his element here, Elena can't help but smile at him. Had she known his story earlier perhaps she would've made an effort sooner to get to know him. Without knowing about his less than happy childhood, all she had to go by was the way he presented himself to her, that of an aloof, money grubbing although ethical horse breeder slash seller. Realizing that there's much more depth to him than she ever gave him credit for, she gives his hand a squeeze when strains of ' _The First Noel'_ begin to fill the hall. His eyes roam from the stage to Elena, settling on her for a few moments. He wants to say something, anything to her but he can't seem to find the words. Feeling like a stranger in a foreign land, Damon's can feel his heart pounding like a kettle drum, reverberating more intently with each pump of blood through his no longer lifeless heart. When the last song begins, Santa Claus aka Kol walks onto the stage followed by several elves carrying goodies for all of the children. Damon admits that his heart jumps when he sees how happy the little kids are. This is all so new to him and he doesn't know what to do so he follows Elena's lead and claps and when she raises that beaming smile to him, all of his self control vanishes and before he even realizes what he's doing, he wraps her in his arms and holds her tight to his chest at the same time as a lone happy tear begins to form in the corner of his eye.

* * *

Stepping out of his car, he reaches into the back seat to pull the box out. Sucking in a deep fortifying breath, he walks down the sidewalk to her front door. As one foot moves in front of the next, Damon can feel all the familiar nerves firing inside of him like a cannon. Not wanting to show up empty handed and on Christmas Eve no less, Damon bought Andy an I Pad and Elena a gift certificate to a spa in Lexington along with a Poinsettia plant and a nice bottle of Moscato. Although Damon thinks she's absolutely beautiful whether she's fresh faced or wearing makeup, he couldn't think of anything to buy her. Almost frantic at the thought, he finally called Brady's wife and asked her what he should do. He thanked her profusely when she suggested the spa day.

With his hands full, he turns and uses his elbow to ring the doorbell. He can't help the smile that spontaneously forms on his face as soon as he sees her.

"You're here," she starts to say but cinches her eyebrows when she sees that he is bearing gifts. "What's all this?"

"I couldn't very well come empty handed, it is Christmas as you're so fond of reminding me," he teases, despite the way his stomach is doing nervous somersaults.

"Damon, I didn't invite you for presents."

"I know that. He's a kid, Elena," Damon whispers, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Don't just stand there, come on in and Damon..., Merry Christmas," she says, stepping aside to let him do just that. Pointing to a table, she tells him to set it down. When he does, he lifts out the plant and hands it to her. "It's beautiful, Damon. I love Poinsettias." After thanking him, she takes it and sets it on one of her end tables that sit on either side of her couch. Damon takes the initiative and puts the other things under the Christmas tree. It's beautiful, it's at least six foot tall, smelling of pine and adorned with brightly colored twinkling lights, glimmering bead strands and gorgeous ornaments of every shape, size and color.

"Beautiful tree. Did you decorate it yourself?"

"No, Andy helped me."

"Where is he by the way?"

"His best friend's birthday is tomorrow so his mom had his party today. He should be on his way home right about now," Elena starts to say at the same time that headlights shine through the window from a car that pulls into her driveway. "That'll be him," she adds, walking outside. Dropping onto the couch, Damon starts to relax to the subdued yet festive ambience of her home. Somehow he hadn't even realized that music is playing on her stereo system. Standing up, he walks over to it, picking up CD cases with the names Mannheim Steamroller and the Tran-Siberian Orchestra on them. Setting them back down, he steps up to the tree and takes a whiff of the fresh pine scent, closing his eyes at how fresh and wonderful it smells.

"Damon," Andy squeals, hurrying over to him.

"Hi Andy. Did you have fun at your friend's party?"

"I did. I'm glad you could come," the boy tells him and Damon can see it in his eyes that he truly means it.

"Thank you for inviting me. I'm not used to having a Christmas like this," Damon starts to say, using his arm to gesture, sweeping across the room at the tree, the presents and all the holiday décor Elena has gone all out with.

When Elena joins them wearing a Frosty the Snowman apron, Damon can't help the big grin that forms as he follows her and Andy back to the kitchen. After she dishes out big bowls of homemade beef stew and passes around fresh buns and butter, they pick up their spoons and start to eat. With Elena to his left and Andy across from him, Damon is overwhelmed with unexpected joy because for the first time in a very long time he feels like he belongs somewhere.

* * *

After saying goodnight to Andy, Elena pulls the bottle of wine out of the refrigerator along with a couple of glasses. Her own nerves are biting at her belly a little bit and yet she can't deny that she likes being around him, maybe more so than she should. Never in her wildest imagination did she dream that she'd ever be attracted to Damon Salvatore and yet this is where she finds herself. Standing at the living room entrance, she smiles as she looks at him and the way the twinkling of the tree lights bathe him in a plethora of colors. He took it upon himself to light a couple of candles, twin flames as it were, are flickering on the fireplace mantle. Blowing out a puff of air, she walks into the room to join him on the couch. Damon takes the bottle from her, opens it up and fills the glasses that she holds in her hands. Setting the bottle down, he takes one from her, clicks it ever so softly against hers and then each takes a sip.

"Thank you for putting the presents out while I got him into bed. I know he's nine but he's all I have so I still say goodnight to him daily."

"No, you're the one I should be thanking. This is all new to me, Elena. It's really special to be a part of this with you. And Andy, he's lucky to have you, Elena."

"I'm the lucky one, truly. He's like a son to me, I don't know what I'd do without him. And I'm really happy that you agreed to join us tonight."

"I didn't have much choice now did I?" Damon teases, winking at her. Lifting the glass to his lips, Damon takes another long pull then sets it down.

"More?"

"No, Elena. As much as I don't want to, I have to drive home."

"No, Damon, don't go. Please stay with us..., with me tonight," she whispers, her eyes darkening and Damon swears it's desire. Before he can even think about it, he cups her cheeks with his hands and pulls her mouth to his, kissing her like she's the only drop of water in the endless sands of the Sahara...

When it ends, she takes his hand and leads him to her bedroom and for the first time in his life, Damon knows what true happiness feels like.

* * *

 _This was always meant to be just a short holiday story._

 _Huge thanks to Eva. Love you dearly sister._

 _Huge thanks to all of you. Thank you so much for everything you all do for me. You all keep me motivated to write more. Fortunately I work 12 hour shifts cause if I worked 8, I wouldn't have nearly as much time to write._

 _Chapter Title: 'Behind the Curtain' by Narnia._

 _I did post a Civil War era one/shot called "Dancing With Myself' if you're interested._

 _Please remember to review._

 _Have a safe and wonderful evening and a happy Tuesday. I'm off to go to work. Both Eva and I wish you all only the best for 2017._


	5. A Whole New World

_**I had so many requests to add an epilogue to this story so here it is. I really hope you like it.**_

* * *

Feeling the sun's rays warm his face, Damon rolls over, burying his face against his wife's back. Just as he's about to drift back into slumber, he hears little footsteps just before the bed dips and his littlest daughter, two year old Nina, is on top of the bed.

"Daddy, wake up. Raven gots the horsey thing today," she tells him, pulling the covers back.

"Okay, baby girl," Damon mumbles sleepily. When he rolls onto his back, she jumps onto his belly. Sitting astride his middle, she starts bouncing up and down.

"Oomph," Damon moans, rolling over and tickling her till she's giggling and squealing. Hearing all the commotion, Elena raises up on her forearm, chuckling at the two of them. Nina has her daddy completely wrapped around her little finger. Although they really hadn't planned on having anymore children after their son was born, both he and Elena were thrilled when she turned up pregnant again after a romantic anniversary trip to the Bahamas. Completely in love with being a dad, Damon wouldn't say no to another addition to the family if Elena decides that she wants one. Still young, she is only in her late thirties whereas he turned forty two on his last birthday.

"Nina, why don't you let daddy get up now so he can make breakfast? We need to get ready to go to Raven's competition."

Their eldest, nine year old Raven, is already an accomplished equestrian having won many ribbons and trophies in Junior Dressage competitions. Andy, adopted by Damon not long after he and Elena married, is twenty. He's in college now studying Veterinary medicine. It's Elena's hope that he'll join her in her practice once he graduates. Their seven year old son, Matt completes the Salvatore family. Matt and Raven resemble Elena whereas Nina, with hair as black as night and beautiful cobalt eyes, is the spitting image of her daddy.

"Okay mommy," she agrees, bobbing her head up and down. Leaning forward, she gives Damon a big sloppy kiss on the lips.

"What's that for?"

"Daddy, you make panny cakes for me?"

"Yes, I'll make you panny cakes," Damon laughs, tickling her one more time causing another stream of giggles to erupt from her throat. Lifting her over his body, he drops her beside Elena. Throwing back the covers he swings his legs over the side of the bed. After scrubbing his hands over his face, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he ambles into the bathroom. By the time he comes out, Elena and Nina are gone and his bed is made. Walking over to the dresser, he pulls out a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. As soon as he pulls it over his head, he picks his boots up and sits down on the edge of the bed to put them on. Sitting up, he glances at the dresser again, this time seeing a picture of himself and his beloved Duchess. She's gone now, dying at the age of twenty three from Laminitis. With Damon at her side, Elena administered the lethal injection, letting her die peacefully with her head in his arms. Even though Damon knew he was making the right decision, not wanting her to suffer, it still hurt like a son of a bitch when she took her last breath. Aside from losing his parents, nothing hurt as bad as saying goodbye to her for the final time. Fortunately he had Elena, Andy and their children to get him through the worst part. Raven was six and Matt was four at the time.

Having promised Duchess that he wouldn't sell her colt when she had pneumonia all those years ago, Andromeda was and still is a valued member of their family. Raven often uses him for competitions. He was the last stallion that she birthed. One more filly was born of Duchess, that horse, Maleficent, named by Raven, has been Damon's constant companion since Duchess breathed her last. Standing up, he walks over to the chest of drawers. Picking up the picture, he runs his fingertips along her face. "I still miss you, Duchess. Rest well my friend," he adds then sets the picture down and walks out of their bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him.

* * *

Sitting in the bleachers, they watch as Raven trots onto the track to take her turn in the competition. When the flag judges signal for her to begin, she begins the free walk. This walk demonstrates long strides, a relaxed back and a lowering and stretching of the horse's head and neck illustrating complete relaxation. It can be ridden with little or no contact. The horse is encouraged to carry his head and neck as low as he chooses. Raven allows the reins to slide through her hands gradually. Sitting balanced atop Andromeda, she's very quiet. Using passive aids, she gradually takes the reins until contact is achieved. When done correctly, the horse will reach the ground stretching the muscles on the top of his neck, his mouth will bite softly and he will exhale and blow out through his nose. Swinging through the walk, Andromeda does a beautiful job, doing exactly as Raven commands. When her time is up, she smiles and exits the track for the next person participating in the event.

Having spent the entire day at the event and with Nina getting incredibly antsy and tired, Damon pulls her onto his lap. In no time at all, she's sound asleep, her little cheek smooshed against his chest and her lips parted slightly as she inhales and exhales. Elena, never shy of taking pictures, snaps another of daddy and daughter. "She's so cute sometimes," Elena mentions, wispily brushing a strand of hair away from her mouth.

"The problem is.. is that she knows it," Damon chuckles, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. He smiles at his wife but looks up when they hear Raven's name called to take her turn in the last performance of the afternoon. Trotting out, she and Andromeda perform the Piaffe. This is a diagonal movement that is highly collected and cadenced but it's done in place. The horse's raised foreleg should again be raised to the middle of the opposing foreleg's cannon bone. The raised hind leg's toe should be slightly above the fetlock joint of the opposing hind leg. The Piaffe should always remain lively and animated with the horse's body moving up and down in a relaxed, supple and cadenced manner. The horse's neck should be arched with its head in the vertical position. When Raven's time is up, the audience erupts in applause. Although Elena, Andy and Matt stand up, clapping excitedly, Damon stays seated so as not to awaken a sleeping Nina.

Having won the second place ribbon, Raven is giddy with excitement. She hasn't been competing formally for all that long a time and the fact that she got another ribbon is thrilling for her. After carefully putting Nina in her car seat and securing her, Damon gives his older daughter a big hug, telling her how proud he is of her and her accomplishments. As soon as they have Andromeda safely inside their horse trailer, they climb into Damon's pickup to begin the drive home.

* * *

Standing against the fence, his arms resting on the top board with his chin laying on them, Damon watches as Andy and Matt play polo. Although he's not yet too old to participate, his leg is still giving him some grief. He was out riding along the lake that borders his property one afternoon when he saw a cluster of cattails. Since Elena and the girls like them, he jumped off of his horse to cut a bunch to take home. Unfortunately he slipped on a mossy rock and broke his ankle badly. Somehow he managed to drag himself back to Maleficent, mount her with his other leg and get himself back to the house before he passed out, pain consuming him. Now with pins and screw holding it together, it does ache and badly sometimes.

"Damon?"

Turning his head to the right without raising it, he smiles when he sees Brady step up to the fence beside him, his twin sons, Billy and Wes, now eleven years old, follow behind.

"Hi Uncle Damon," Wes says, climbing onto the fence to watch.

"Can I play too, Uncle Damon?" Billy asks, walking over and climbing onto the fence beside him.

"What do you say, daddy? Can they play polo too?"

"If you're careful and if Uncle Damon will let you borrow a couple of his horses."

"Can we please?" Wes asks, tugging his shirt at the waist.

"Come along, let's go saddle up a couple of those ponies." Offering each of the boys a hand, he leads them into the barn while Brady stays to watch the other two boys. Once inside the barn, they find Kol who's shoveling some fresh hay for the horses.

"Hi Uncle Kol."

"Hey guys. How can I help you?"

"Uncle Damon said we could play with Andy and Matt."

"Let's get you saddled up then," he says laughing. Setting his pitchfork down, he motions for the boys to follow him. With a nod to Damon, the three of them disappear into the tack room. With the weather warm, Ruffian, Ruby Belle, Bold Pharaoh, Maleficent and Andromeda are all outside in the pasture, grazing on the fresh grass. Ruffian has sired several colts, including a couple of champion stallions. Chuckling when he sees that Kol has enough help, Damon walks back outside, smiling when he sees his wife standing at the fence talking to Brady. Hurrying over, he gives her a quick kiss. It's always the same, the electricity is always there, whenever he kisses her his blood burns red hot.

"How is my little sweetheart?" Damon asks, knowing that his baby girl woke up with a fever.

"She's fine, Damon. Raven and Bonnie are in the house with her."

"Bonnie's here for Ra's dressage lesson?"

"She is. I need to run over to the office for a little while. I have a couple of cats to spay."

"Okay baby, I'll go in the house so Ra can start her lesson."

Taking her hand in his, he walks her to her car. Once she has seat belt buckled, he pushes the door closed. With a wave, she backs out of the driveway and disappears down their gravel road in a cloud of dust.

* * *

Hearing raucous laughter, Damon peeks in on Nina. Finding her still sound asleep, he walks outside to see what's going on. When he sees Andy throwing the Frisbee for one of their three Golden Retrievers, he can help but smile. Before Elena and Andy moved in, his home was void of love and laughter. Now he has it in spades. Crossing his arms, he watches his boy toss one after another to Jake, Sarsaparilla, also known as Sassy, and Kipper. Just as he's about to walk back into the house, Kipper runs between his legs, nearly knocking him on his ass. Breaking out in laughter himself, Damon takes the Frisbee from him and throws it towards Andy.

"Don't go inside, play with us," Andy asks, tossing the Frisbee back towards the man who is his dad for all intents and purposes.

"We have to stay close to the house. Nina will be scared if she can't find someone when she wakes up."

"No problem," Andy agrees, leaping to catch the disc when Damon lobs it at him again. Tossing it once more, Sassy leaps and pulls it down before it reaches Damon.

"Hey girl," Damon says aloud, stooping down to pet the dog. When he suddenly hears a crying sound, he pets the dog once more than raises up. "Someone is awake," he mentions then turns on his heels and walks back into the house. By the time he reaches her, Nina's cries are frantic. Stepping into her room, his heart melts when he sees her big puffy, tear filled eyes and a flurry of tears cascading down her cheeks. Hurrying to her bedside, he pulls her into his arms. With one hand at the back of her head and the other massaging her back, he soothes her. Feeling the cat underfoot, he looks down, whispering to his little girl, "Fuzzy wants some love too." Sitting down with the little one in his lap, he pats the bedside. In the next second, Fuzzy leaps onto the bed, brushing his fur against Nina. With her tears beginning to dry up, she pulls him onto his lap and starts to pet her cat.

"Daddy, me not fewl good," she burbles, burying her face against his chest.

"I know baby girl. Do you want daddy to make you some chicken soup?"

"Ah ha."

Standing up, he tucks her back under the covers then walks over to turn the TV on. After putting in a Disney movie for her, he drops a kiss to her head and walks out of the room to scrounge up the ingredients to make some homemade chicken noodle soup for his baby girl.

* * *

Feeling melancholy today, Damon mounts a horse and rides out to Duchess's grave. It's a warm summer day. The sun is burning brightly in a clear blue sky. A light breeze is whistling through the trees. The sound of the water lapping against the shore makes this a peaceful resting place for his beloved pet. When he reaches the grassy knoll, he takes the time to pick some sunflowers. Once he has a handful of them, he walks to the big tree near the water's edge where she's buried. After the cremation, he kept a tiny bit of her ashes and put them in a special little urn that he had made for her. The rest of them, he brought out here to bury alongside the river. Stooping down, he lays the sunflowers beneath the shade of the Bigleaf Magnolia tree. Maybe he's a bit nuts after all, she was an animal but Damon wanted to give her a grave marker. It's not large but it has her picture etched into it. Gently touching her still beautiful face, Damon smiles sadly as he remembers all the times they shared together. Just him and his beloved horse. With his mind elsewhere, he doesn't hear quiet footsteps as they approach him. It's only when he hears the snapping of a branch that he looks up, nodding when he sees Andy walking towards him.

"I thought you'd be here."

"It's that day again. I still miss her you know?"

" I know," he adds, dropping to his knees bedside the man who has been his father in every sense of the word. He watches Damon turn away for a moment as he tries to gain his composure. "You don't have to look away, dad, I know how much you loved your Duchess."

"I know that, Andy... I love you son," Damon adds, sighing heavily. With his ankle bothering him, he lets Andy help him to stand up. Damon pats the headstone one more time. With a soft voice he tells Duchess that he'll be back again soon. Raising his eyes to the clear blue sky, he smiles at the heavens and then walks side by side back to the horses with his boy.

* * *

As soon as Damon and Andy get back to the stables, Matt and Raven are waiting for them. "Daddy, will you and Andy play ball with us? Uncle Kol went to get Elijah to play with us too." As soon as the words are out of his mouth, Kol walks into the barn, his son Elijah on one side and his wife, Eva on the other.

"Is Elena in the house?"

"Hello Eva, yeah, she's in the house. She mentioned something about baking cookies with Nina."

"I'll just go inside to see if she needs any help then. It's good to see you, Damon."

"You too, Eva," Damon replies, watching as she walks away. Before long Billy, Wes and Brady happen along too. By now they have enough to play a little game of baseball anyway. Taking the bats and balls, the adults and kids walk outside and into the pasture. With his bad ankle, Damon gets behind the plate, stooping down to catch while Kol goes to the pitcher's mound. With Brady manning the infield and the outfield, Kol winds up and lobs the ball across the plate. Matt swings and misses. Having caught the ball, Damon throws it back before calling for a time out.

"Daddy, I missed it."

"Just keep your eye on the ball, Matty. I have faith in you."

"Okay," he says, stepping back up to the plate while Damon drops down behind him again. This time when Kol throws the ball to him, Matt swings hard, making contact with the ball, knocking it into the outfield. Brady gives chase, reaching it just as Matt rounds third base towards home. Throwing a rocket towards Damon, the ball reaches him at the same time Matt reaches home plate. He barrels right into his dad, sending him sprawling on to the dirt, with Matt on top of him, both laughing like hyenas. Seeing the ball in his dad's hand, Matt scrambles off of him and touches the plate before Damon can tag him out. Once he gets to his feet, Damon brushes the dirt off of himself the best he can before Elijah steps up to take his turn in the batter's box.

When the game is over, the kids beat the adults ten runs to six runs. With all the kids squealing with excitement at beating their dads, Damon goes into the barn. There's an old refrigerator in there full of bottled water and soda as well as popsicles in the freezer for the kids. Grabbing the box, he hands out treats to each of the kids before indulging in a blue popsicle himself. By the time they finish, it's late in the afternoon. On the spur of the moment, he decides that with everyone here it would be a great day for a barbecue. After telling Brady to have his wife and daughter come over too, he goes inside to the freezer to pull out some hot dogs and hamburger patties. Firing up the grill, he lets the charcoal heat up before donning his 'kiss the cook' apron. With the platter in his arms, he walks outside. After setting it down, he starts putting the meat on the racks.

"Here you go," Elena offers, handing him a bottle of beer.

"Thanks, baby," he replies, wrapping an arm around her middle and pulling her close enough to press a kiss to her temple. "I love having everyone here. It's so good to have Andy home again."

"It is. I hope when he graduates from school that he'll want to live around here and work with me. We still own my place. If Liz is the one, they could live there if here is where he wants to be."

"They could. I hope he stays around here too, Elena. He's my son in every way. I love him and would like nothing more than to share this with him."

"I know. I feel the same way. Mostly he calls me aunt Elena but occasionally a mom slips out. Honestly, I love it when that happens. Even though he's my sister's child, I've always loved him as my own."

"I know he feels that way, too, Elena." Taking a big pull from his beer bottle, Damon flips the burgers. A few minutes later, he plates up the hotdogs and hamburgers, taking the platter over to the picnic table. Sitting down beside his wife, his eyes drift around the table, his heart full as laughter and merriment fill the atmosphere.

* * *

Hearing a yawn, Damon glances over at his wife just before pulling onto the gravel road that leads to their home. "Tired?"

"I am. It's nearly one am," she adds, covering her mouth when another one threatens to escape. The moon is full and the stars are twinking in the night sky. A new drive in theatre opened outside of Lexington and with it being Disney night and all, they couldn't resist. Even Andy and his girlfriend Elizabeth piled into the car to go along. Nina is sound asleep in her car seat, clutching her favorite blankie in her arms. Matt, his head leaning against the window is snoring slightly. Even Raven is dozing. Only Andy and Elizabeth are still awake.

Since Damon drives a big Expedition, they have room for all of the kids. As soon as he pulls to a stop in front of the house, he turns off the lights and then the ignition. Stepping out of the car, Damon opens the backdoor. Gently jostling Raven, he urges her awake. Rubbing her eyes, she gets out of the car and straight to Elena to bury her face against her mid section. Not wanting to wake up, Andy lifts Matt out and carries him into the house, Elizabeth walking beside him. Taking Raven's hand, Elena nudges her towards the house while Damon carefully pulls Nina out of her car seat. Cradling her in his arms, he's amazed at this little creature that he helped create. Her hair shimmers in the moonlight, her pale skin is soft and smooth. A part of him would love to keep her like this forever.

Clutching her tenderly in his arms, he carries her into the house just as Elena is pulling Raven's bedroom door closed. Leading him down the hall, they step into their baby's room. Since the weather was warm and knowing they'd be home late from the theatre, she let Nina wear her jammies. Once she's tucked in, Damon drops a kiss to her forehead and then steps aside so Elena can do the same.

Stepping out into the hall, he peaks in at Matt and then goes to the kitchen to get his coffee ready for morning. Just as he's about to turn the lights out, Andy and Elizabeth are about to leave again. "If you're tired, Liz, you can stay in the guest room tonight. But no monkeying around if you know what I mean," he adds, his eyes turning to his boy.

"Are you sure? Andy was just going to drive me home."

"I know you don't live far but it's late and I saw you both yawning through the rear view mirror. Show her to the room, Andy."

"Thanks dad. I promise I won't sneak out of my room in the middle of the night. Your sixth sense is uncanny, I wouldn't dare test it," he laughs. After saying goodnight, they walk out of the kitchen leaving Damon all alone with his thoughts. Leaning against the sink, he happens to glance at the magnetic photo frame of his mom and dad that is adhered to the refrigerator. A familiar sense of melancholy begins to burn in his belly as he stares at the photo.

"I know you loved me, dad. I just wish you would've shown it to me, even just once in awhile. I just don't want my kids to grow up the way I did. I still miss you sometimes though," he whispers, dropping his eyes for a moment. Lost in his memories, he doesn't budge till he feels her brush a loose strand of hair off of his forehead.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just my dad. I know you think the worst of him and I know he wasn't a role model but he was my dad, Elena."

"I don't think the worst of him. I know you love your father, Damon and despite what I've been told about him, he did raise the wonderful man I married."

"I love you, Elena."

I love you too." Taking his hands in hers, she leads him backwards towards their bedroom. With a twinkle in her eyes, she whispers huskily, "And now my loving husband, why don't we practice making number four?"

The End.

* * *

 _Big thanks to Eva. Where would I be without you, my dearest friend?_

 _Huge thanks to all of you for caring for this Delena too. I love all of my versions of them but some more so than others. This is one of my favorites._

 _Chapter title: "A Whole New World" from Disney's "Aladdin"._

 _I did post part 1 of "Over the Rainbow". It's set in Berlin in 1945. I know historical DE isn't everyone's cup of tea but I do love history and it's fun to insert them into the 'historical record' sort of._

 _ICEM and TTFAF are still in progress too._

 _Be safe and have a fabulous day. Thank you again for all the joy your reviews brought to me and to Eva over the distance of this story._


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